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0EC2J  2005 


Durham  County 
Economic  and  Social 


W.  M.  UPCHURCH 
and  M.  B.  FOWLER 


cA  Laboratory  Study  in  the  University  of  f^rth 

Carolina,  Department  of  l^ra I  Economics 

and  Sociology 


The  Expense  of  Publication  is  Generously  Borne  by 

Hon.  John  Sprunt  Hill,  an  Alumnus  and 

Trustee  of  the  University 


CONTENTS 


I'Al.K 

Foreword   5 

W.  M.  Unchurch 

1.  Historical  Background    7 

M.  B.  Fowler 

2.  Natural  Resources    10 

M.  B.  Fowler 

3.  Facts  About  the  Folks  13 

W.  M.  Upchurcii 

4.  Wealth  and  Taxation  2i 

W.  M.  Upchurch 

5.  Industries  and  Opportunities    28 

W.  M.  Upchurch 

6.  Farm  Conditions   37 

\\.  M.  Upcliurch 

7.  Farm    Practices   43 

W.  M.  Upchurcii 

8.  Status  of  Our  Rural  Schcwls 48 

\V.  M.  Upchurch 

9.  Sen-en-year  Gains  in  Rural  Schools 55 

W.  M.  Upchurch 

10.  Durham  City  Schools  Compared  with  Those  of 

Winston-Salem    no 

W.  M.  Upchurch 

11.  Other  Durham  County  Institutions  of  Learning (6 

W.  M.  Upchurch 

12.  Home-Raised  Food  and  the  Ixkal  Market  Problem (8 

W.  M.  Upchurch 

13.  Where  We  Lead  and  \\  heri:  We  L.\o 81 

M.  B.  Fowler 

14.  Our  Problems  and  Their  Solution 86 

W.  M.  Upchurch 


FOREWORD 


The  scries  of  studies  here  otTerc.l  to  tlic  puhlic  under  the  title. 
"Durham  County:  Economic  and  Social,"  is  the  work  of  M.  B. 
Fowler  and  W.  M.  Upchurch,  working  under  the  sympathetic  direction 
of  Prof.  E.  C.  Branson  and  his  assistant  in  the  department  of  Rural 
Economics  and  Sociology  of  the  University  of  North  Carolina. 

The  data  used  were  secured  largely  from  the  United  States  Census 
Report  for  1910.  and  other  authoritative  sources  and  studies  in  the 
Xoyh  Carolina  Club  room  at  the  University,  for  the  use  of  which 
we  here  render  grateful  thanks.  We  are  also  under  many  obligations 
to  Mr.  Floyd  S.  Bennett,  of  the  Durham  High  School,  for  valuable 
suggestions  and  corrections. 

The  expense  of  publication  has  been  met  by  the  Hon.  Jolin  Sprunt 
Hill,  to  whom  the  people  of  the  county  are  indebted  for  this  public 
service. 

The  reader  will  Hnd  some  things  of  which  he  will  be  proud,  but 
he  will  find  others  which  he  may  regret,  and  he  may  wonder  why  they 
were  given  to  the  public.  The  purpose  of  the  writers  has  not  been  to 
advertise  our  county  by  exaggerating  the  best  things  and  neglecting 
the  objectionable  ones.  We  agree,  rather,  with  the  writer  who  said, 
"Our  best  friends  are  they  who  tell  us  of  our  faults  and  help  us  to 
mend  them."  We  have  kept  this  thought  ever  in  mind  as  we  have 
tried  to  interpret  facts  and  figures  in  a  fair-minded  way. 

Wc  further  believe  with  Milton  that— 

"Prime    wisdom    is 
Not  to  know  at  large  of  things  remote. 
But  that  which  daily  lies  about  us." 

The  work,  therefore,  has  been  an  attempt  to  understand  tlie  present 
tlay  forces  of  life  in  our  city  and  county  and  to  give  our  candid  in- 
terpretation to  the  people,  hoping  in  this  way  to  be  of  some  eflfective 
service  to  our  home  county. 

Whatever  our  success,  we  are  at  least  offering  to  the  public  a  new 
kind  of  bulletin.  It  has  to  do  with  tlie  economic  and  social  problems 
of  Durham  and  Durham  county.  It  is  the  second  bulletin  of  its  kind 
in  this  state,  and  so  far  as  we  know,  it  is  one  of  the  very  few  in  the 
United   States. 

The  idea  all  through  it  is  that  we  can  tell  how  well  we  arc  doing  in 
any   particular   only   by   comparing   our    progress    with    tliat    of   other 


6  Durham  Couxty:  Economic  axd  Social 

towns  and  counties  in  the  same  activity.  The  point  is  not  so  much 
whether  we  are  gaining,  but  whether  we  are  keeping  up  with,  or  are  in 
advance  of  the  most  progressive  communities. 

Our  hope  is  that  this  little  bulletin  may  find  its  way  not  only  to  the 
desks  of  our  political  leaders,  but  also  into  the  hands  of  every  student, 
teacher,  preacher,  and  doctor;  every  banker,  merchant,  manufacturer 
and  farmer — in  short,  into  every  Durham  county  home;  and  that  it 
may  carry  stimulative  information  to  some  people,  and  stir  in  all  a 
determination  to  help  place  our  city  and  county  in  the  front  rank  of 
all  that  is  best. 

W.   M.  UPCHURCH, 

Edit  or-i7i-C  hie  f 


IIAM     C'olNTV:     Kl'D.NO.MIC    AND    SoCIAl 

HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND 

M.  n.  Fowi.KK 


Fifty-two  years  ago  on  a  l)iautiful  April  clay  there  gathered  around 
a  cheerful  camp  fire  at  a  little  spot  between  (ireeushoro  and  Raleigh 
the  soldiers  of  the  blue  and  the  gray.  A  stranger  would  have  thought 
by  their  gaiety,  games,  foot  races,  horse  trading,  and  general  behavior 
that  a  spring  festival  was  being  celel)ratc(l.  Hut  why  tliis  place?  This 
was  the  spot  set  aside  as  neutral  ground  between  the  armies  of  Gen- 
eral Sherman  and  General  Johnston,  just  before  the  close  of  the  war 
between  the  States.  This  place  was  called  Durham's  Station  in  honor 
of  a  venerable  townsman.  Dr.  B.  h.  Durham.  Ordinarily,  about  two 
hundred  people  resided  at  this  little  station.  But  on  this  memorable 
spring  day  thousands  of  men  swarmed  the  woods  in  this  vicinity. 
General  Sherman's  army  camped  just  to  the  south  of  the  station,  and 
General  Johnston's  about  three  and  one-half  miles  west,  at  the  Bennett 
Place.  Soldiers  from  botii  sides  met  at  Durham  Station  and  had  a 
genuinely  good  time.  They  found  a  frame  house  just  a  little  way  from 
the  station,  full  of  tobacco  that  had  been  manufactured  by  Mr.  John 
R.  Green  for  the  soldiers  in  gray.  The  house  was  sacked,  and  men 
from  both  sides  filled  their  pockets  with  smoking  tobacco. 

After  Johnston  had  surrendered  to  Sherman  at  the  Bennett  House, 
the  soldiers  scattered  in  every  direction.  Some  lived  in  Texas,  some 
in  Maine.  So  it  happened  that  later  Mr.  Green's  tobacco  went  "ex- 
press prepaid"  from  Maine  to  Texas.  When  the  tobacco  carried  away 
began  to  give  out,  these  men  began  to  feel  a  desire  for  more  of  the 
"celestial  weed."  Thus  it  happened  that  the  railroad  agent,  post- 
master, and  other  officials  around  this  little  burg  began  to  receive 
letters  from  various  places,  asking  for  more  of  that  Durham  tobacco. 
Mr.  Green  was  quick  to  see  his  opportunity,  and  accordingly  began  to 
manufacture  more  tobacco  and  call  it  "Durham  Smoking  Tobacco." 
He  adopted  the  Durham  Bull  as  his  trade  mark.  The  story  of  the  sub- 
sequent litigation  over  this  trade  mark  need  not  be  told  here. 
Suffice  it  to  say  "Bull  Durham"  won  out  and  still  survives.  After  the 
death  of  Mr.  Green  in  1869,  Messrs.  W.  T.  HIackwell  &  Company  pur- 
chased the  business.  Fresh  capital  was  applied  and  the  tobacco  busi- 
ness took  on  the  big  boom  that  has  never  ceased.  The  sign  of  the 
"Bull"  is  seen  around  the  world  today. 

After  the  war  Durham's  population  rapidly  increased.  The  station 
became  a  town  and  was  incorporated  by  the  act  of  the  General  As- 
sembly, ratified  April  10,  1869.  It  was  named  for  the  man  who  gave 
the  land  on  which  to  build  the  station.  Dr.  B.  L.  Durham.  At  the  time 
the  above  bill  passed  the  General  Assembly  the  town  of  Durham  was 


8  DuiiiiAM  County:  Economic  axd  Social 

in  the  county  of  Orange.  Exactly  two  years  later  a  bill  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  Durham  county  was  ratified  by  the  people,  having  been 
introduced  in  the  General  Assembly  by  the  Honorable  Caleb  B.  Green. 
A  slice  of  Orange  and  a  slice  of  Wake  went  to  make  up  the  county. 
Just  a  few  years  ago  another  part  of  Wake  was  cut  oflf  and  handed 
over  to  Durham  in  the  form  of  Carr  township. 

The  history  of  Durham  henceforward  concerns  its  growth  from  a 
tiny  village  of  200  people  to  a  city  of  30,000  inhabitants  within  50  years. 
We  say  30,000,  because  East  and  West  Durham  are  really  parts  of  the 
city  of  Durham.  Early  in  its  progress  bankers  of  note,  such  as  Mr. 
Eugene  Morehead,  established  credit  businesses.  Graded  public  schools 
were  started  in  1882. 

With  these  things  briefly  said,  let  us  concern  ourselves  with  vvhat 
made  Durham  grow ;  what  it  is  and  is  not ;  what  it  has  at  present  and 
what  it  needs. 


10  Durham  Couxty  :  Economic  and  Social 

NATURAL  RESOURCES 

M.  B.  Fowi<ER 

Minerals 

Brick-Clay. — The  mineral  resources  of  Durham  county,  as  far  as 
yet  discovered,  are  meagre.  Brick-clay  is  by  far  the  most  valuable 
natural  asset.  It  is  found  in  large  quantities  for  the  most  part  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  county.  When  the  city  of  Durham  first  began 
(to  demand  brick  buildings,  an  enterprising  colored  citizen,  R.  B. 
(Fitzgerald  by  name,  manufactured  by  hand  brick  in  vast  numbers  near 
what  is  now  Maplewood  Cemetery.  There  are  at  present  five  well- 
equipped  brick  yards  in  the  county.  Modern  machinery  and  the  down- 
draft  kilns  turn  out  a  very  excellent  common  brick.  It  seems  that 
shale  mixed  with  clay  makes  the  best  weather-proof  brick,  although 
it  does  not  make  so  smooth  a  surface  as  the  pure  clay.  The  approxi- 
mate number  and  value  of  brick  made  in  the  county  in  1913,  1914,  and 
1915  are  given  below: 

1913  1914  1915 

Number  Value      Number  Value      Number  Value 

5,300,000   ....   $39,350      5,176,000  ....   p7,32l      4,811,000  ....  $34,177 
Guilford    county    reports    more    than    10,000,000    manufactured    in 
1914. 

Iron  Ore. — There  has  been  some  private  prospecting  on  a  small 
scale  for  iron  ore  in  the  Flat  River  section  of  Durham  county.  On  the 
farm  of  Martha  Reed  near  the  aforesaid  river  is  found  some  red 
hematite  iron  ore.  An  analysis  of  this  ore  made  by  Dr.  F.  P.  Venable, 
of  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  shows : 

Analysis 

Silica     29.77 

Metallic  Iron    38.32 

Sulphur    025 

Phosphorus    250 

Phosphorus  Ratio  652 

Red  hematite  is  also  found  on  Mr.  M.  W.  B.  Veasey's  place  at 
Knap  of  Reeds. 

Analysis  by  Dr.  Venable 

Silica   35.27 

Metallic  Iron    33.15 

Sulphur     03 

Phosphorus    08 

Phosphorus    Ratio    241 


Dluuam  County:  Economic  and  Social     11 

So  far  as  yet  established  the  siliceous  (jiiality  of  these  ores  unfits 
them  for  economic  use. 

Timber 

There  is  wooded  growth  over  54  pur  cent  of  the  area  of  Durham 
county.  Nearly  three-fourths  of  it  consists  of  second  growth  pine. 
Most  of  the  remainder  is  oak,  among  which  there  is  a  small  amount 
of  other  miscellaneous  Iiardwoods  and  original  growth  pine.  It  has 
been  rouglily  estimated  that  the  present  stand  of  merchantable  timber 
in  the  county  is  forty-three  million  board  feet,  or  an  average  of  some 
400  feet  per  acre. 

The  original  growth  of  oak  and  shortlcaf  pine  probably  at  one 
time  covered  the  northern  and  central  parts  of  the  county.  It  is  said 
that  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  county  there  has  never  been 
any  large  amount  of  hardwood  forest.  This  seems  to  be  true,  as  the 
longleaf  pine  undoubtedly  once  extended  into  this  part  of  the  county. 
Just  a  few  longleaf  pines  arc  found  near  Nelson  today.  The  best  oaks 
and  miscellaneous  hardwoods  are  found  in  tlic  bottoms  and  lowlands 
in  the  southern  and  eastern  sections  of  tlie  county. 

Three  species  of  pine  occur  in  mcrcliantable  quantities.  Shortleaf 
pine  is  the  most  generally  distributed  over  the  county,  ranging  from 
three-fourths  of  the  pine  stand  in  the  northern  section  to  about  one- 
fourth  in  the  soutliern  townships.  In  tlic  eastern  townships  loblolly 
predominates. 

Mangum  township  has  scrub  or  spruce  pine.  This  is  an  inferior 
grade  of  pine  and  should  be  cut  and  used  or  sold,  in  order  to  give 
room  for  the  shortleaf  and  loblolly  to  reproduce  themselves.  Not 
only  Mangum  townsliip  but  every  other  townsiiip  needs  to  take  care 
that  the  scrubs  are  eliminated.  Cut  them  out  wiiile  they  are  young, 
and  the  others,  shortleaf  and  loblolly,  will  have  a  better  chance.  The 
loblolly  will  grow  in  spite  of  the  others  to  some  extent,  but  the  short- 
leaf  pine  must  be  given  a  good  chance  to  exist. 

Our  lumber  mills  need  all  we  can  give  them  to  keep  running  with 
profit.  About  thirty  sawmills  were  operated  in  this  county  last  year. 
Five  of  these  cut  over  five  hundred  thousand  feet  each,  while  five 
others  cut  between  one  hundred  thousand  and  five  hundred  thousand 
feet  each.  Most  of  the  others  are  small  stationary  mills  which  do 
custom  sawing  in  connection  with  a  gin  or  a  gristmill.  Tlicse  mills  cut 
approximately  six  million  feet  of  lumber  last  year,  about  nine-tenths 
of  which  was  second  growth  pine.  Practically  all  the  remainder  was 
oak  which  was  manufactured  chiefly  into  crossties. 

Stumpage  prices  range  from  $2.00  to  $3.50  per  thousand  for  second 
growth  pine  and  from  $3.00  to  $5.00  for  oak,  according  to  the  quality 
and  distance  from  the  market.  There  are  a  few  areas  of  large  second- 
growth    shortleaf,    spoken    of    as    "slickbark    pine,"    which    makes    an 


12  DuEHAM  Couxty:  Economic  and  Social 

excellent  quality  of  lumber.  It  is  valued  at  topnotch  prices.  Most  of 
the  lumber  is  sold  either  at  the  mill  or  in  Durham.  Very  little  is 
shipped  out  of  the  county. 

The  only  wood-using  industries  outside  of  the  sawmills,  are  five 
planing  mills  at  Durham  and  a  shook  factory  at  Redwood.  Three  of 
the  planing  mills  manufacture  sash,  doors,  blinds,  mantels,  etc.  The 
factory  at  Redwood  gets  its  lumber  from  sawmills  operated  in  con- 
junction with  its  plant. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  Durham  farmers  will  increase  the  per- 
centage of  land  used  for  cultivation,  but  it  will  be  some  few  years 
before  a  large  proportion  of  the  old  field  pine  areas  is  cleared  up. 
Every  effort  should  be  made  to  keep  a  goodly  stand  of  the  rapidly 
growing  loblolly  pine  on  all  unused  lands  in  order  to  insure  the  maxi- 
mum returns,  under  the  present  circumstances.  We  do  not  need  any 
forest  planting,  for  the  large  proportion  of  pine  in  all  parts  of  the 
county  insure  a  sufficient  re-seeding,  if  the  proper  precautions  are 
taken. 

Water  Power 

Durham  county  lies  on  the  eastern  border  of  the  Piedmont  section 
of  North  Carolina.  The  topography  is  rolling  and  in  some  parts  quite 
broken.  The  northern  end  of  the  county  is  drained  by  Eno,  Flat  and 
Little  Rivers.  These  rivers  come  together  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
county  and  form  the  Neuse,  which  constitutes  the  border  of  Carr  town- 
ship. The  southern  part  of  the  county  is  drained  by  New  Hope  and 
several  other  small  creeks  which, help  to  form  the  head  waters  of 
the  Cape  Fear. 

There  are  several  small  sawmills  and  cotton  gins  on  the  various 
streams,  run  by  water  power.  But  it  seems  that  this  water  power  is 
being  supplanted  by  steam  and  gasoline  engines.  There  is  only  one 
mill  of  any  importance  in  Durham  county  run  by  water  power.  The 
fact  is,  we  have  very  little  actual  water  power.  We  have  plenty  of 
water  for  our  land  and  cattle  and  people,  but  comparatively  little  water 
power  to  run  our  big  factories.  What  we  have,  however,  may  be 
utilized  to  a  distinct  advantage  if  the  coal  supply  necessitates  the 
abandonment  of  steam. 


DiKiiAM  Cointy:   F'co.nomic  and  Social  V.\ 

FACTS  ABOUT  THE  FOLKS 

W.  M.  Uiviniuii 

Our  facts  about  the  folks  in  Durham  county  arc  based  on  tlio  tabic 
at  the  end  of  the  chapter.  These  come  mainly  from  the  last  Federal 
Census.  They  are  true  for  the  year  1910,  not  for  the  year  1917.  Only 
once  every  ten  years  does  any  county  in  the  United  States  have  a 
chance  to  take  stock  of  itself.  However,  the  facts  we  yive  are  sug- 
gestive. They  show  us  certain  tendencies  in  our  county  and  enable  us 
to  compare  Durham  with  other  counties  of  the  state. 

Density  of  Population 

In  1910  the  total  population  of  tlic  entire  county  was  35,276,  or 
barely  as  many  as  we  now  have  in  the  city  and  its  suburbs  alone.  Al- 
though Durham  is  a  small  county,  ranking  eighty-first  in  size,  only 
fourteen  counties  in  the  state  had  a  larger  population.  Our  rural 
population  was  58.5  people  per  square  mile.  Only  four  counties  in  the 
state  had  more.  This  means,  of  course,  small  farms  and  density  of 
farm  population,  which  is  a  distinct  social  advantage.  Rural  people 
like  to  have  neighbors  fairly  near  by.  Often  they  become  dissatisfied 
and  move  into  town  where  they  may  mingle  with  folks. 

Decreasing  Rural  Population 

This  desire  for  associates,  together  with  other  factors,  has  caused 
our  city  population  to  increase  at  the  expense  of  rural  communities  in 
Durham  and  adjoining  counties.  The  low  prices  of  farm  products  fol- 
lowing 1900,  and  the  call  of  the  city  for  industrial  workers  caused  our 
rural  population  to  decrease  9.6  per  cent.  This  means  that  our  farmers, 
the  bread-and-meat  producers  of  our  population,  are  not  only  failing 
to  increase  in  proportion  to  the  city  need  for  such  supplies,  but  that 
9.6,  nearly  a  full  tenth,  of  the  country  people  of  Durham  county,  have 
quit  their  farms  and  moved  to  town,  leaving  these  farm  lands  idle  in 
many  or  most  instances. 

Law  and  Order 

Usually  when  the  countryman  moves  to  town,  he  takes  with  him  his 
love  for  elbow-room,  his  independent,  democratic  spirit.  He  has  had 
no  one  to  dictate  to  him  just  what  time  he  shall  go  to  work,  when  he 
may  stop,  how  much  he  may  talk  and  laugh,  how  loud  he  may  yell, 
where  his  pig-pen  shall  or  shall  not  be,  on  which  side  the  street  he 
may  tie  his  horse,  and  how  long  he  may  leave  him.  In  short,  he  has 
been  his  own  boss.  When  he  gets  to  town,  town  customs  and  ordi- 
nances are  all  new  to  him.  It  takes  time  for  him  to  become  socially 
adjusted,  and  it  is  during  this  time  of  adjustment  that  most  of  our 


14  DuEHAM  County:  Eco^tomic  and  Social 

fights   and   homicides   occur.     Misunderstandings    often  become    shot- 
gun affairs. 

But  somehow  Durham  people  have  solved  the  problem  of  living 
together  more  peaceably  than  have  the  people  of  83  other  counties  of 
the  state.  Only  16  counties  have  a  lower  rate  of  homicides  according 
to  population. 

Durham  County  Patriotism 

Perhaps  no  county  in  the  state  has  done  more  for  our  country  and 
the  Allies  in  the  present  crisis  than  Durham.  Company  M  was  about 
the  first  to  reach  full  war  strength  by  the  addition  of  volunteers.  In 
like  manner  we  raised  an  extra  company  under  Capt.  L.  P.  McLendon, 
which  would  be  an  honor  to  any  community.  Among  the  officers  of 
'high  rank  we  have  the  distinction  of  furnishing  Colonel  S.  W.  Minor 
and  Lieutenant  Colonel  Sidney  Chambers.  In  June  we  raised  more 
than  our  allotment  of  the  first  Liberty  Loan.  In  July  we  oversub- 
scribed our  share  of  the  Red  Cross  fund,  an  out-and-out  gift  without 
hope  of  material  return.  In  October  we  bought  more  than  our  pro- 
portional part  of  the  second  Liberty  Bond  issue.  This  was  done  not 
by  wealthy  men  alone,  but  by  preachers,  teachers,  students,  school 
children,  factory  employees,  farmers  and  business  men  alike.  Besides 
all  this,  November  found  nearly  every  housewife,  white  and  colored, 
pledging  herself  to  aid  Mr.  Hoover  in  the  conservation  of  food  sup- 
plies, while  March  finds  hundreds  of  our  children  helping  Uncle  Sam 
by  saving  and  by  doing  extra  work  to  earn  money  with  which  to  pur- 
chase Thrift  Stamps. 

Marriage,  Birth,  and  Death  Rates 

The  development  of  a  community  is  closely  related  to  the  mar- 
riage, birth,  and  death  rates. 

In  the  number  of  marriages  per  thousand  of  population  in  1914,  we 
ranked  9th,  which  is  to  say,  only  8  counties  made  a  better  showing. 
In  the  matter  of  births  we  ought  to  have  done  as  well.  The  fact  is, 
Jiowever,  that  we  fell  to  the  rank  of  81st,  which  means  that  80  counties 
did  better.  Those  who  do  not  believe  there  is  any  danger  of  race 
suicide  should  study  these  facts  closely.  We  are  near  the  top  in  the 
marriage  rate,  but  near  the  bottom  in  the  birth  rate.  The  reason  for 
this  challenges  the  thought  of  all  who  are  interested  in  our  future. 

Factory  Work  and  Motherhood 

Whether  our  low  birth  rate  is  in  any  way  related  to  the  fact  that 
many  of  our  girls  and  mothers  work  in  the  factories  is  a  question  which 
our  industrial  captains,  as  well  as  our  health  department,  can  well 
afford  to  ponder  over.  Especially  is  this  true  now  that  so  many  of 
our  boys  have  been  taken  away  on  account  of  the  war,  which  has 
brought  about  a  dearth  of  labor.     If  our  farms  are  to  be  improved, 


Di'KiiAM  Cointy:  EroNoMic  AM)  Social  IT) 

our  waste  lands  made  productive,  and  our  industries  expanded,  we 
must  see  to  it  that  our  birth  rate  far  exceeds  our  death  rate. 

The  figures  show  tliat  tlie  above  is  true.  For  every  tliree  people 
who  died  in  1914  five  were  born  to  take  their  places.  It  is  as  important 
to  lower  the  death  rate  as  it  is  to  increase  the  birth  rate.  The  differ- 
ence between  the  two  is  wliat  counts. 

But  what  is  of  greater  interest,  perhaps,  is  the  economic  and  social 
conditions  in  which  most  of  our  cliildren  live.  The  writer,  while  tak- 
ing the  city  school  census,  visited  practically  every  home,  wliitc  and 
colored,  and  got  a  pretty  clear  idea  of  social  levels  and  conditions. 
When  he  stopped  at  many  of  our  well-to-do  homes  and  explained, 
"This  is  the  school-census  man ;  I'd  like  to  get  the  names  and  ages  of 
all  children  from  6  to  21  years,"  many  of  the  ladies  replied  out  of  the 
window  or  from  the  head  of  the  stairs,  "Not  any  here,"  or  "Just  one — 
J.  S.,  Jr."  In  answer  to  the  same  explanation  on  most  back  alleys 
and  factory  settlements,  the  mother  would  bring  out  the  family  Bible 
and  a  chair.  Then  with  a  satisfied  laugh  she  would  say,  "Have  a 
seat,  sir;  you'll  get  tired  if  you  undertake  to  write  all  these  names 
standing."  After  writing  six,  eight,  and  sometimes  ten  names, 
the  census  man  would  start  for  the  next  house  only  to  be  stopped 
with,  "Wait  a  minute!  I  forgot  to  tell  you  about  the  youngest  set  of 
twins,  and  my  dead  sister's  children  who  stay  with  mc." 

This  does  not  mean  that  tlie  female  workers  in  our  factories  tend 
to  have  more  children  than  other  women  who  work  outside.  Many 
of  these  large  families  have  just  moved  in  from  the  country  com- 
munities. It  docs  show,  however,  that  there  are  other  reasons  than 
factory  employment  for  our  low  birth  rate,  which  need  to  be  studied 
by  our  thoughtful  people. 

If  these  facts  arc  correct,  and  they  are,  how  are  we  to  raise  the 
level  of  our  community?  If  ignorance  and  poverty  tend  to  multiply 
themselves  faster  than  education  and  wealth,  what  is  our  problem? 
Do  not  these  people  who  furnish  the  workers  for  our  industries  and 
most  of  the  fighters  for  our  army,  deserve  the  very  best  that  we  can 
give?    These  are  some  of  the  things  tliat  wc  need  to  think  about. 

Our  leaders  seem  alive  to  these  facts.  The  factories  have  wonder- 
fully improved  the  conditions  under  whicli  tlicir  emphjyees  labor,  as 
well  as  the  homes  in  whicli  they  live.  So  great  has  been  this  change 
that  our  most  recent  tenant  houses,  built  by  the  Golden  Belt  Manu- 
facturing Company,  rival  many  of  our  most  comfortable  and  coveted 
bungalows.  Besides  all  this,  some  of  our  factories  employ  one  or 
more  trained  nurses  to  look  after  the  health  conditions  of  their  em- 
ployees and  care  for  them  while  sick. 


16  Dlkham  Cou.xty:  Economic  a^'d  Social 

Health  Department 

In  this  connection  we  ought  to  mention  the  work  of  our  Depart- 
ment of  Health.  Durham  is  one  of  the  few  counties  that  have  a  whole- 
time  county  health  officer  with  several  assistants.  We  have  come  to 
realize  fully  that  it  is  a  function  of  government  to  do  everything  pos- 
sible to  keep  people  well,  and  so  we  have  employed  competent  phy- 
sicians and  nurses  to  take  care  of  this  work.  In  all,  there  are  two 
doctors  and  eight  trained  nurses  in  the  county  devoting  their  entire 
time  to  this  work.  This  includes  those  working  for  the  factories  and 
the  schools. 

All  children  in  the  schools,  both  white  and  colored,  are  examined 
and,  as  far  as  possible,  cared  for  by  the  school  nurses.  Besides  being 
good  for  the  children,  it  is  an  economic  advantage  to  keep  them  able  to 
be  regular  in  their  attendance  at  school. 

As  a  result  of  the  cooperation  of  various  agencies  in  this  work, 
much  sickness  has  been  prevented,  many  epidemics  avoided,  smallpox 
almost  eradicated,  typhoid  moved  toward  zero,  and  the  general  death 
rate  appreciably  lowered.  No  doubt  these  are  due  in  part  to  the  fact 
that  we  hold  the  record  for  having  the  purest  milk  supply  in  this  or 
adjoining  states. 

Social  Welfare  Activities 

Perhaps  no  county  in  the  state  is  doing  more  for  the  social 
welfare  of  the  people  than  Durham.  Our  good  women  in  the  King's 
Daughters,  with  the  aid  of  a  few  generous  gifts,  have  built  the  Old 
Ladies'  Home,  an  institution  which  will  redound  to  their  everlasting 
honor  and  glory.  Nor  do  the  good  women  forget  our  old  men.  Every 
year  the  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy  prepare  a  feast  of  fat  things 
for  the  old  soldiers,  while  the  rest  of  us  doff  our  hats  as  they  ap- 
proach the  table. 

Our  capitalist,  Mr.  Geo.  W.  Watts,  has  generously  given  and  endow- 
ed an  excellent  hospital  in  which  those  unable  to  pay  may  be  treated 
free  of  charge.  Some  of  our  dentists,  on  the  recommendation  of  the 
school  nurse,  have  offered  free  dental  service  to  the  poor  child  with 
a  swollen  jaw.  The  Junior  Order  of  American  Mechanics  furnishes 
books  to  indigent  children.  The  taxpayers  have  provided  a  County 
Home  for  those  that  need  it.  The  Salvation  Army  with  its  splendid 
new  home,  and  other  charity  organizations,  look  after  the  needs  of 
the  deserving  poor,  while  a  good  school  is  in  reach  of  every  child.  We 
have  also  one  of  the  most  up-to-date  Y.  M.  C.  A.  buildings  in  the 
state,  which  bespeaks  our  interest  in  our  young  men.  The  one  thing 
we  lack,  along  this  line,  is  a  modern  Y.  W.  C.  A.  building  for  our  girls 
and  other  young  women  who  chance  to  stop  in  our  city.  Other  progres- 
sive counties  have  such  an  institution,  while  Durham  continues  to  lag  in 


18  DLRiiA:Nr  Couxty:  Economic  axd  Social 

this  particular.  The  only  thing  in  the  county  to  meet  this  need,  so 
far  as  I  know,  is  The  Girls'  Friendly  Club  of  West  Durham. 

Besides  the  social  agencies  named,  we  have  well  equipped 
plaj'grounds  at  three  of  the  city  schools  and  in  three  of  the  factory 
settlements,  as  well  as  a  public  playground  near  the  center  of  town. 
These  were  kept  open  regularly  during  the  last  summer  under  the 
direction  of  competent  supervisors.  This  work  has  been  greatly  aided 
by  the  story  telling  of  Mrs.  B.  U.  Brooks  for  the  Durham  Hosiery 
Mills,  and  by  the  junior  members  of  the  Kings'  Daughters  for  the 
public  and  school  playgrounds.  For  work  of  this  kind,  the  Durham 
Hosiery  Mill,  the  Pearl  Mill,  and  the  Erwin  Mill  of  West  Durham, 
deserve  especial  mention.  They  have  provided  reading-rooms  and 
games  for  their  people  with  competent  directors  in  charge.  One  night 
each  week  the  Pearl  Mill  people  meet  at  their  lyceum  for  free  entertain- 
ment, or  to  hear  some  worth-while  talk. 

The  Durham  Hosiery  Mill  has  added  to  its  playground  equipment 
open-air  motion  pictures — some  for  amusement  and  others  for  instruc- 
tion in  public  health  and  sanitation.  These  with  the  Hosiery  Alill 
Band  furnish  recreation  for  the  entire  community.  There  is  a  plan 
on  foot  to  continue  such  work  at  the  get-together  meetings  at  the 
Edgemont  School  building  during  the  winter  months.  These  meetings 
are  held  from  time  to  time  for  the  purpose  of  offering  amusements 
either  free  or  inexpensive,  and  to  disseminate  facts  of  interest  con- 
cerning the  school  or  other  things  for  community  betterment. 

An  Educated  People 

Whether  we  can  consider  ourselves  a  well  educated  community 
depends  upon  what  showing  we  make  when  compared  with  other 
groups  in  this  and  other  states. 

In  the  matter  of  white  illiterates,  ten  years  old  and  over,  or  white 
illiterate  voters,  only  13  counties  in  North  Carolina  make  a  better 
showing.  In  1910  there  were  1,403  whites  in  the  county  ten  years  and 
over  who  could  not  read  and  write,  which  was  a  little  more  than  8 
people  out  of  every  100.  Included  in  this  number  were  542  white 
voters,  which  was  nearly  one-tenth  of  our  voting  population.  For  our 
state  this  is  a  good  record,  but  we  should  remember  that  North  Caro- 
lina is  almost  at  the  bottom  of  the  literacy  list.  Only  South  Carolina, 
Georgia,  Alabama,  Alississippi,  New  Mexico,  and  Arizona  rank  lower 
in  total  illiteracy,  and  these  have  excessive  negro  or  Indian  populations. 

With  these  facts  in  mind  every  voter  in  the  county  ought  to  wel- 
come the  opportunity  to  cast  his  ballot  in  the  coming  election  for  an 
amendment  to  the  Constitution,  which  will  provide  a  six-months  school 
term  for  our  rural  communities. 

The  school  facilities  of  the  county  will  be  discussed  in  other  chap- 
ters. 


Drijii AM   (  oi  N  l^  :    l.t  ..m.mh-  and  Social  19 

A  Religious  People 

It  is  only  by  comparison  tliat  wc  can  claim  to  !)c  a  religious  people. 
By  reference  to  the  table  that  follows  wc  fmd  tliat  only  49  out  of  every 
100  people  over  ten  years  of  age  are  members  of  any  church,  which 
leaves  51  out  of  the  100  outside  of  the  church.  Looking  at  it  from 
this  angle  we  are  scarcely  half  eflicient.  Wc  can  never  boast  as  long 
as  so  many,  11.514  people  in  190(),  were  not  on  our  church  rolls,  but  we 
do  have  reason  to  feel  encouraged  when  wc  know  that  wc  were  5  per 
cent  above  the  state  average  of  church  membership,  and  about  10 
per  cent  above  the  average  for  the  United  States. 

But  numbers  are  not  the  only  thing  that  counts.  Wc  have  many 
faithful  leaders,  and  almost  everywhere  we  see  old  church  houses 
improved  or  replaced  by  magnificent  buildings.  This  shows  our  wil- 
lingness to  give  our  wealth  freely  for  Christian  welfare. 

A  Working  People 

We  need  no  figures  to  prove  this  to  our  own  people,  for  they  know 
it  already.  To  be  convinced  one  has  only  to  watch  the  great  hordes 
pouring  into  our  industrial  plants  in  the  mornings.  However,  it  may 
be  consoling  to  some,  and  a  warning  to  others,  to  know  that  only  one 
county  in  tlie  state  has  more  female  workers  in  factories  tlian  Durham. 
In  1915  Durham  county  had  2,759  such  workers,  while  Forsyth  had 
3,471.  Our  rank  in  this  particular  is  either  2nd  or  99th,  according  to 
whether  we  consider  it  a  desirable  or  an  undesirable  situation.  Many 
of  our  men  and  industrial  captains  will  say  we  are  2nd,  while  our 
doctors  and  health  department  may  insist  we  are  99th.  No  matter 
what  opinion  we  may  have,  we  must  take  off  our  hats  to  the  women 
workers  of  Durham  for  the  part  they  are  playing  in  helping  to  pro- 
vide for  their  homes  and  to  build  up  industries;  and  we  shout.  Long 
live  our  factory  managers  who  are  improving  living  and  sanitary  con- 
ditions in  the  factories  and  factory  communities,  providing  play- 
grounds for  the  young,  night  schools  for  the  mentally  hungry,  nurses 
for  the  sick,  and,  without  being  requested  to  do  so,  increasing  the 
wages  of  the  workers  time  and  again  to  meet  the  increased  cost  of 
living. 

A  Satisfied  People 

With  conditions  of  this  sort,  no  wonder  our  people  seem  con- 
tented. So  long  as  we  continue  to  improve  these  various  phases  of 
our  social  and  industrial  life,  we  shall  not  be  bothered  with  the  strikes 
and  troubles  of  the  North  and  West.  So  long  as  one's  surroundings 
are  healthful,  wholesome,  and  satisfying,  life  is  worth  while;  but 
when  one's  economic  and  social  conditions  become  intnlerable,  death 
may  seem  the  only  cure  for  the  ills.  There  is,  therefore,  a  close  re- 
ktion  between  such  a  situation  in  any  community  and  its  number  of 


20  Dl'eham  County:  Economic  and  Social 

suicides.  Fifty-three  counties  in  1913  reported  no  suicides,  while 
Durham  reported  only  one.  This  is  a  good  record  for  a  county  with 
a  rapidly  growing  city  like  ours.  Mecklenburg  county  with  Charlotte, 
for  the  same  year,  reported  eight  suicides.  May  we  not  conclude  from 
these  facts  that  our  people  are  well  conditioned  and  satisfied? 

A  Homogeneous  People 

In  1910  our  foreign  born  population  numbered  only  258.  This  was 
a  little  over  one-half  of  one  per  cent  of  our  total  population.  They 
came  largely  from  England,  Germany,  and  Russia.  A  complete  list 
can  be  found  at  the  end  of  the  chapter. 

FACTS  ABOUT  THE  FOLKS 

Rank  in  important  particulars.  The  rank  at  the  left  margin  in- 
dicates the  number  of  counties  that  make  a  better  record. 

85th     in  land  area  1910,  acres 186,240 

15th     in  total  population,   1910  census 35,276 

City  of  Durham  1900,  6.679;  1910,  18.241.  Ten-year  in- 
crease, 171  per  cent.  Estimated  population  for  1915, 
22,500.  , 

5th     in  density  of  rural  population,  people  per  square  mile....       58.5 

95th     in  rural  population  decrease  from  1900  to  1910 9.6 

This  rural  decrease  is  largely  due  to  the  extension  of  our 

city  limits. 
Only  two  counties  suffered  greater  decrease,  Mecklenburg 

and  Clay.    Ten  counties  lost  population. 
Guilford  ranks  first  in  rural  population  increase,  41   per 
cent. 
19th     in  total  white  population,  the  county,  1910 22,893 

18th     in  negro  population,    1910 12,383 

30th     in  ten-year  decrease  in  negro  population,  per  cent  de- 
crease, 1900-10   2.1 

14th     in  native  white  illiterates,  ten  years  old  and  over,  per  cent        8.2 
Total  white  illiterates  in  1900,  1,927;  1910,  1,403. 
U.  S.  average,  3  per  cent;  N.  C.  average,  12.3  per  cent. 

14th     in  native  white  illiterate  voters.  1910,  per  cent 9.7 

Number  illiterates,  542. 

U.  S.  average,  4.2  per  cent;  N.  C.  average,  14.1  per  cent. 


DiKiiAM  Cointy:  Economic  and  Social  21 

9th     in  marriage  rate  per  1,000  of  population,  15  Ncars  old  ami 

over.    1914    1  ^  ■« 

State  average,  10.1 ;  Pasquotank,  23.6. 
Total  marriages  in  1914.  271. 
81st     in  birth  rate  per  1,000  of  population.   1VI4  -'5.4 

Average  for  U.  S.,  26.6  in  1913. 
Average  for  N.  C,  31.2  in  1914. 

89tli     in  death  rate  per  1.000  of  population,  1914 15.5 

Average  for  U.  S.,  15  in  1913. 
Average  for  N.  C.  12.4  in  1914. 
62nd     in   church   membership,   per  cent   of   total   poi)ulation   ten 

years  of  age  and  over  in  1906 49 

11.482  people.   10  years  of  age  and  older,   were  member.s 

of  the  church. 
11.514  people.  10  years  and  older,  were  outside  the  churcli. 

51  per  cent. 
U.  S.  average  of  church  membership,  39.1. 
State  average  of  church  membership,  44  per  cent. 
17th     in  homicides,  average  annual  rate  per  million  inhabitants, 

1910-14    43 

There  were  six  in  four  years  in  Durham  county. 
Robeson   had  the  worst   record  with  408;   three  counties. 

Hyde.  Pamlico,  and  Randolph  had  no  homicides  during 

1910-14.     State  average.  95 ;  U.  S.  average.  72. 

72nd     in  blind   inmates   in    X.   C.   State    School.    1914,   rate   per 

100.000   population    34 

Total  number  of  inmates  from  Durham  county.  12;  State 
ratio  per  100.000  was  20.8. 

2nd     in  suicides  in   1913.  number    1 

Fifty-three  counties  in  1913  reported  no  suicides. 
Many  counties  reported  only  1 ;  there  were  85  suicides  in 
X.  C.  in  1913.  Of  the  twenty-four  states  in  the  registra- 
tion area,  only  Virginia  did  better  than  N.  C.     Mecklen- 
burg county  was  worst  with  8. 

67th     in  outside  paupers  in  1914,  rate  per  100.000  population 298 

Total  number  of  outside  paupers.  105. 
State  average  per  100,000  population,  234. 
53rd     in   paupers   in   almshouses,    1910  census,    rate   per    100.000 

population    '^>- 

Total  number  of  almshouse  paupers.  34. 
State  average.  96;  U.  S.  average,  190. 

Xew  York  State.  272;  Massachusetts.  447. 


Durham  County  :  Economic  and  Social 


99th     in  female  workers  in  mills  and  factories,  1915,  number...     2,759 
Forsyth  worst  with  3,471  female  operatives. 


FOREIGN-BORN    POPULATION    IN    1910 


Africa     3 

Austria     1 

Canada   12 

England   26 

France    7 

Germany    46 

Greece    11 

Hungary    1 


Ireland 
Italy    ... 
Russia    . 
Scotland 


4 

3 

115 

7 


Turkey  15 

Wales   1 

All  others   6 


Total 258 


I)ii£ii.\M   Col  nty:   Kconomic   ami  Social  2.'5 

WEALTH  AND  TAXATION    IN  DURHAM  COUNTY 

W.  M.  L'lMii  luii 

The  Krcatcr  part  of  the  wcaltli  in  Durham  county  is  concentrated 
in  and  about  the  city  of  Durliam.  In  1913  tlie  total  taxa1)lc  prop- 
erty of  tlie  county  was  $26,500,480.  Tlie  farm  wealth  of  tlie  county 
is  reported  in  the  1910  census  at  $3,591,167.  This  would  appear 
on  the  ta.\  books  at  a  smaller  figure,  as  in  the  case  of  city  property. 
Relatively  our  country  properties,  actual  and  taxable,  arc  small — per- 
haps less  than  a  tenth  of  tlie  total  for  tlic  entire  county.  The  taxablcs 
of  the  county  have  increased  to  $36,188,659  in  1917;  which  is  around 
a  ten  million  dollar  increase  in  four  years.  In  the  period  from  1903 
to  1913  we  increased  our  taxable  pro|)crty  80  per  cent,  which  was  one 
per  cent  less  than  the  state  average. 

Per  Capita  Wealth  and  (iains 

The  total  amount  of  wealth  in  any  place  is  not  of  as  much  con- 
cern as  the  portion  which  each  individual  possesses,  and  the  ease  and 
rapidity  with  which  he  may  increase  this  amount. 

In  1910  our  per  capita  country  wealth  was  only  $210.  while  that  of 
.Mlcghany  county  was  $560;  of  the  state  at  large  $322.  and  of  Iowa 
$3,386.  We  should  remember  that  neither  Alleghany  county  nor 
Iowa  produces  cotton  or  tobacco,  but  instead  they  devote  their  time 
largely  to  food  and  feed  crops  and  to  livestock. 

Negroes  Gain  Rapidly 

It  is  interesting  to  know  that  while  tlic  wliite  people  of  the  state 
increased  their  wealth  69  per  cent  between  1903  and  1913,  the  negroes 
made  a  gain  of  137  per  cent.  This  means  that  they  were  just  about 
twice  as  thrifty  as  the  whites.  When  we  remember  that  they  had  al- 
most no  property  when  they  were  freed,  a  per  capita  taxable  wealth 
of  $50  in  1913  shows  a  wonderful  gain.  We  are  glad  to  know  that  our 
colored  people  are  doing  so  well  in  the  matter  of  saving,  and  we  hope 
this  will  be  an  incentive  to  our  whites  to  redouble  their  efforts  in  this 
particular. 

While  our  per  capita  rural  wealth  was  only  $210  in  1910,  the  per 
capita  taxable  wealth  of  the  entire  county,  including  the  city,  in  1913 
was  $753,  in  which  particular  Durham  outranked  every  other  county 
in  the  state.  There  is  no  occasion,  however,  for  our  country  people  to 
rush  to  town  expecting  to  increase  their  possessions.  To  be  sure, 
there  is  more  wealth  in  town,  but  it  is  not  so  uniformly  distributed. 
A  few  men  in  town  have  a  superabundance,  while  the  great  majority 
have  very  little.     The  figures  seem  to  show  that  the  chances   for  ac- 


24  DuKHAM  County:  Economic  and  Social 

cumulating   property   are   better    in    the    country    regions    than    in    the 
towns  and  cities. 

In  the  census  period  from  1900  to  1910  our  farm  wealth  increased 
112.8  per  cent,  but  the  taxable  wealth  of  the  entire  county  increased 
only  80  per  cent  between  1903  and  1913.  We  should  remember,  too,  that 
the  advantage  is  now  with  the  farmer,  because  the  prices  of  all  farm 
products  have  doubled  and  trebled  during  the  last  three  years. 

Low  Tax  Rate 

One  hears  people  complaining  of  high  taxes  so  often  that  he 
is  likely  to  believe  what  they  say.  Our  state  and  county  rate  is  only 
91  2-Z  cents  on  the  $100  valuation.  Sixty-two  counties  had  a  higher 
rate  in  1914.  Some  counties  more  than  doubled  the  rate  in  Durham. 
In  Yancey,  for  instance,  the  state  and  county  rate  was  $2.12  2-3.  In 
local  taxation  for  schools  our  rate  is  $4.80  per  $1,000.00  assessed  val- 
uation, while  the  lowest  in  the  state  is  $3.45  and  the  highest,  down  in 
Pamlico,  is  $8.98;  yet  their  schools  do  not  compare  favorably  with 
ours.  In  both  the  above  items  we  are  much  nearer  the  lowest  than 
the  highest,  and  far  below  the  state  average. 

So  long  as  our  officials  are  able  to  keep  the  county  in  the  front 
rank  of  progress  on  rates  far  below  the  state  average,  our  people 
should  rejoice  instead  of  complain.  Our  county  is  able  to  stay  in  the 
lead  on  such  a  low  rate  only  because  of  our  large  corporations  and 
wealthy  citizens. 

Unequal  Tax  Burden 

Under  this  heading  it  is  proper  to  call  the  attention  of  our  people 
to  the  fact  that  an  acre  of  farm  land  in  Durham  bears  a  state  tax 
burden  nearly  twice  as  heavy  as  an  acre  in  Orange,  more  than  twice 
as  heavy  as  an  acre  in  Chatham  or  Wake,  nearly  three  times  as  heavy 
as  an  acre  in  Person  or  Granville,  and  more  than  eight  times  as  heavy 
as  an  acre  in  Alleghany,  the  richest  farm  county  in  the  state.  These 
facts  were  brought  out  by  Mr.  E.  S.  Booth,  of  Durham,  in  a  Tax 
Study,  for  the  North  Carolina  Club  at  the  University  in  1915.  His 
paper  can  be  found  in  the  University  News  Letter,  Vol.  1,  No.  8.  It 
appears  that  our  farm  land  in  1911  was  assessed  nearly  10  per  cent 
above  the  census  value,  while  farm  land  in  Orange,  Chatham,  Wake, 
Person,  Granville,  and  Alleghany  was  assessed  at  66  per  cent,  51  per 
(Cent,  45  per  cent,  39  per  cent,  38  per  cent,  and  13  per  cent  of  the 
census  values  in  the  order  named.  This  is  an  injustice  that  our  tax 
assessors  and  the  State  Tax  Commissioner  ought  to  remedy.  In  the 
tax  value  of  farm  land  when  compared  with  census  values,  Durham 
county  ranks  fourth,  only  three  other  counties  in  the  state  paying  on 
a  higher  valuation. 

This  speaks  well  for  our  farming  folks.  Be  it  said  to  the  honor 
and  credit  of  one,  and  to  the  dishonor  and  shame  of  the  other,  that 


DruiiAM  Coi.my:  Jmono.mic  .\m»  Social  25 

Dare,  the  poorest  county  in  tlie  state  in  per  capita  country  wealth, 
ranks  first  in  this  respect  with  its  farm  lands  listed  88  per  cent  above 
the  census  value;  while  Alk-Khany.  the  richest  county  in  the  state  in 
per  capita  country  wealth,  ranks  lowest  with  its  lands  listed  87  per 
cent  below  the  census  valuation. 

Income  and  Professional  Taxes 

In  the  matter  of  income  taxes  in  1914  Durliam  county  ranked  6th, 
paying  $4,143.35.  In  1913  tliere  wore  33  counties  in  the  state  which 
paid  no  income  taxes  and  32  counties  paid  none  in  1914.  We  wonder 
if  no  one  in  these  counties  was  getting  an  income  of  over  $1,250  per 
year.  And  furthermore,  Durham  county  ranked  7th  in  the  amount  of 
professional  taxes  paid  by  lawyers,  doctors,  dentists,  photographers, 
etc..  in  1913.  There  was  none  at  all  reported  for  Harnett,  Duplin. 
Caswell  and  Avery  counties  for  1913.  Must  we  conclude  that  these 
counties  had  no  professional  men  in  that  year,  or  that  they  failed  to 
report  to  the  tax  officers?  Because  of  these  delinquencies  in  other 
counties,  Durham  county  in  1914  paid  into  the  state  treasury  in  excess 
of  pensions  and  school  money  received  therefrom.  $80,467;  while 
Alleghany  county,  the  richest  farm  county  in  the  state,  with  its  farm 
lands  listed  for  taxes  at  only  13  per  cent  of  the  census  value,  is  among 
the  eleven  pauper  counties  that  get  more  from  the  state  treasury  in 
pensions  and  school  moneys  tlian  all  tlie  taxes  they  pay  into  it.  Tliat 
is.  we  are  sending  money  to  Raleigh  and  from  there  to  Alleghany 
county  to  educate  people  who  are  better  aide  but  less  willing  to  educate 
themselves  than  we  are.  It  should  be  somebody's  duty  to  see  that 
such  counties  list  their  property  at  a  fair  price  and  help  to  bear  their 
righteous  part  of  the  state  tax  burden. 

Banking  Facilities  and  Opportunities 
In  1914  Durham  county  had  seven  banks  and  ranked  53rd  in  this 
particular.    That  was  one  hank  to  every  5,459  people.     The  state  aver- 
age was  one  bank  to  every  4.800  people  and  the  United  States  average 
was  one  bank  to  every  3,700  people. 

Our  per  capita  bank  capital  also  is  interesting.  New  Hanover  county 
with  Wilmington  as  a  center  had  $40.06  bank  capital  per  capita; 
Forsyth  with  Winston-Salem.  $32.82  per  capita;  Mecklenburg  with 
Charlotte,  $31.67  per  capita;  Way'ie  with  Goldsboro,  $19.10  per  capita; 
Guilford  with  Greensboro,  $15.56  per  capita;  Wake  with  Raleigh, 
$15.38  per  capita;  while  Durham  had  only  $12.43  per  capita.  In  this 
particular  Durham  ranked  10th.  Our  per  cai)ita  bank  capital  is  piti- 
fully small  for  a  county  whose  manufactured  products  are  worth 
around  nincty-tive  million  dollars  in  1917,  and  whose  local  trade  in 
the  ordinary  necessities  of  life  reaches  fifty  million  dollars  a  year. 
These   facts  make   it  evident  that  our  banks  culd    well  afford   to 


26  Dl'KHam  Coua'ty:  Eco.nomic  and  Social 

increase  their  capital  stock  or  that  new  banks  could  be  operated  with 
profit. 

A  large  part  of  our  wealth  is  invested  in  our  industries.     This  will 
be  treated  in  a  separate  chapter,  entitled,  Industries  and  Opportunities. 

FACTS  ABOUT  WEALTH  AND  TAXATION  IN  DURHAM 
COUNTY 

The  figures  in  the  left  margin  indicate  how  many  counties  make  a 
better  record  than  Durham. 

66th     in  total  farm  wealth,  1910  census $3,591,167 

56th     in  farm  wealth  increase,  1900-1910,  per  cent 112.8 

State  average  increase  130.5  per  cent. 

38th     in    increase    in    value    of    domestic    animals,    1900-1910, 

per   cent    112 

State  increase  109  per  cent.  Robeson  first  with  200 
per  cent  increase.  Dare  lowest  with  11  per  cent 
increase. 

4th     in  total  taxable  property  in   1913 $26,590,480 

Increase  in  taxable  property  1903-1913  was  80  per  cent. 
State  increase  was  81  per  cent.  State  average  in- 
crease, whites,  69  per  cent;  negroes,  137  per  cent. 

82nd     in  per  capita  country  wealth,   1910 $210 

Alleghany  first  with  $560.     Dare,  $47;  State,  $322;  U. 

S.,  $994;  Iowa,  $3,386. 
Per    capita    taxable    wealth    in    Durham    county,    1910, 

all   property  city  and  county  was  $753.     White  per 

capita  taxable  wealth  $865 ;  negro,  $50. 

38th     in  tax  rate,  state  and  county,  on  the  $100,  1914 91  2-3 

Duplin  lowest,  .66  2-3.     Yancey  highest,  $2.12  2-3. 

62nd     in  local  taxation  for  schools,  rate  per  $1,000  of  assessed 

value,   1913-14   $4.80 

Pamlico  leads  with  $8.98.     Hertford  lowest  with  $3.45. 

4th     in  tax  value  of  farm  land,  compared  with  1910  census 

value,  per  cent   109 

Dare,  the  poorest  county  in  per  capita  wealth,  ranks  first 
with  188  per  cent.  Alleghany,  the  richest  county  in 
per  capita  country  wealth,  ranks  lowest  with  only  13 
per  cent.    State  average,  39  per  cent. 

6th     in   income  taxes  paid,   1913 $4,143.35 

Thirty-three  counties  paid  no  income  tax  in  1913,  and 
thirty-two  paid  none  in  1914. 


DiKHAM  C'oimy:  Economic  and  Social  27 

7th    in  professional  taxes  paid  in  1914  by  101  men $505 

This  includes  lawyers,  doctors,  dentists,  photoRra- 
phers,  etc.  None  were  reported  in  Harnett,  Duplin, 
Caswell,  or  Avery  on  tax  list  of  1913. 

41st     in  improved  roads,  Jan.  1,  1915,  per  cent 16 

Miles  of  improved  roads,  133;  miles  surfaced,  118. 
State  average  of  improved  roads,  20  per  cent.  Since 
the  above  date  Durham  county  has  built  about  4 
miles  of  macadam  and  25  miles  of  sand-clay  road. 

18th     in  automobiles   (June  30,  1915),  total  number 345 

One  automobile  to  every  twenty  families.  Amount  in- 
vested in  motor  cars,  $155,250.  Amount  invested  in 
public  school  property,  1914.  $345.0(X).  In  1917  we 
have  invested  in  automobiles  $516,440.64. 

2nd    in  taxes  paid  into  state  treasury  in  excess  of  pension       ^ 

and  school  money  received,   1914 80,467 

Eleven  counties  in  the  state  are  dependent;  that  is, 
they  receive  more  from  the  state  than  they  pay  in 
taxes  into  the  state  treasury.  These  eleven  counties 
are  all  in  the  western  part  of  the  state  and  are: 
Ashe,  Alexander,  Alleghany,  Burke,  Clay,  Jackson, 
Mitchell,  Yadkin,  Yancey.  Wilkes,  and  Watauga. 
Mecklenburg  pays  most,  $88,241. 
63rd     in     Confederate     pensioners,     1915,     rate     per     10,000 

population     47 

Number   in   the  county   receiving  pensions,    179.     Clay 
ranks   first   with   166  per   10,000  population.     Perquim- 
ans ranks  lowest  with  16;  the  state  average  is  62. 
53rd  in  banks  in  1914,  7  in  number— one  bank  to  every  5,459 
people. 

The  state  average  was  one  bank  for  every  4,800  people, 
and  the  United  States  average  was  one  bank  for  every 
3.700  people.  Camden,  Currituck,  and  Graliam  had  no 
banks  in  1914. 

Four- Year  Increase  in  Total  Taxables 

1913 $26,590,484 

1914 28.192.'X)6 

1915 30.581.748 

1916 31,279,333 

1917 36,188,659 


28  Durham  Couxty:  Economic  and  Social 

INDUSTRIES  AND  OPPORTUNITIES* 

W.  M.  Upchurch 

The  things  necessary  for  the  development  of  manufacturing  are 
sufficient  capital,  raw  products  within  easy  reach,  efficient  workers, 
and  ample  transportation  facilities.    Durham  is  blessed  with  all  these. 

Railroad  Advantages 

Few,  if  any,  towns  in  the  South  off  the  main  trunk  lines  enjoy 
greater  railroad  advantages  than  Durham.  Five  different  companies 
operate  trains  in  seven  directions  into  and  out  of  our  city  daily.  In 
all  there  are  about  forty  trains  every  twenty-four  hours.  With  the 
Union  Station  as  a  center  these  lines  radiate  like  the  spokes  of  a 
wheel  from  the  hub.  This  enables  manufacturers  to  import  materials 
from  all  directions  and  to  start  finished  products  toward  their  final 
destination.  These  are  indispensable  advantages  in  a  growing  in- 
dustrial center. 

Raw  Products 

Durham  is  well  located  in  the  midst  of  a  tobacco  and  cotton  grow- 
.ing  area.  Great  quantities  of  these  products  are  brought  in  annually 
by  the  farmers  of  this  and  adjoining  counties  and  sold  on  the  local 
market,  which  saves  our  manufacturers  the  cost  of  transportation. 
Most  of  the  remainder  of  our  raw  products  are  secured  from  fairly 
nearby  markets. 

Capital  Invested 

It  is  scarcely  possible  to  find  from  the  state  reports  the  exact 
capital  invested  in  manufacturing  in  a  progressive  city  like  Durham. 
It  takes  time  for  the  reports  to  be  sent  in  by  the  different  manufact- 
uring concerns  to  the  state  department  at  Raleigh,  and  there  to  be 
tabulated  and  printed  for  the  public.  During  this  time  other  capital 
is  being  added  to  old  plants  and  new  plants  are  started.  However, 
we  can  get  it  approximately  correct. 

According  to  the  state  report  for  1915,  and  the  estimated  amount 
for  the  W.  Duke  Sons  and  Company,  we  had  in  the  county  at  that 
time  a  total  capital  stock  of  $17,382,221.  Of  course  there  was  much 
more  than  this  invested  in  our  industries  and  carried  under  such 
heads  as  "surplus,"  "undivided  profits,"  etc. 

Durham  has  sufficient  capital  invested  in  her  industries  to  insure 
steady  work  for  nine  or  ten  thousand  wage  earners  and  large  returns 
to  capital.     It  is  greater  than  that  of  any  other  city  in  North  Carolina 


*  The' tables  on  which  this  chapter  is  based  can  be  found  following  the  discus- 
sion. These  figures  are  based  on  the  Federal  Census  of  Industries  for  1914  and 
on  the  North  Carolina  Labor  report  for  1915. 


Di  iniA.M  Cor.Niv:   Kco.no.mic  and  Social  20 

except  Winston-Salcin.  ami  these  two  cities  liad  to  combine  in  order  to 
out-distance  us. 

Machinery,  Management,  and   Laborers 

Tlierc  are  a  number  of  things  which  help  to  produce  large  returns 
in  factory  work,  among  the  most  important  of  which  may  be  men- 
tioned the  right  kind  of  machinery,  good  management,  and  efficient 
workmen.  From  the  figures  in  the  table  at  the  end  of  this  chapter  all 
of  these  must  have  combined  with  others  here  in  Durham,  for  in  the 
matter  of  value  of  products  according  to  number  of  wage  earners,  we 
are  far  ahead  of  any  other  town  in  tliis  state.  The  figures  would 
almost  stagger  one's  belief,  but  for  the  fact  that  they  are  backed  by 
the  Federal  Census  of  Manufactures  for  1914. 

According  to  this  report  the  average  factory  employee  in  North 
Carolina  turned  out,  in  1914,  products  valued  at  $2,114.19.  The  aver- 
age factory  worker  in  the  city  of  Durham  in  the  same  year  produced 
manufactured  products  valued  at  $5,792.87,  which  was  about  two  and 
three- fourth  times  the  state  average.  Among  the  ten  largest  cities  in 
North  Carolina,  Winston-Salem  was  our  nearest  neiglibor  in  this  par- 
ticular, and  our  workers  surpassed  those  of  Winston-Salem  l)y  50  per 
cent. 

But  suppose  we  take  for  comparison  the  value  added  to  the  raw 
products  in  the  processes  of  manufacture  in  the  ten  largest  cities  of 
our  state.  In  this  particular  we  make  even  a  better  showing.  Our 
average  workers  added  one  and  a  half  times  as  much  value  to  the  raw 
products  which  they  manufactured  as  did  the  workers  in  Winston- 
Salem,  three  and  a  lialf  times  those  of  Charlotte,  four  times  those  of 
High  Point,  three  times  those  of  Wilmington,  four  and  a  half  times 
those  of  Rocky  Mount,  three  times  those  of  Greensboro,  two  and  a 
half  times  those  of  Raleigh,  three  times  those  of  Asheville,  four 
times  those  of  New  Bern,  and  nearly  four  times  those  of  the  state  at 
large.  In  Durham  4,764  workers  added  three-fourths  as  much  value 
to  the  raw  products  which  passed  through  their  hands  in  1914  as  did 
9.634  workers  in  Winston-Salem  for  the  same  year. 

In  whatever  way  we  compare  our  industries  with  those  of  other 
North  Carolina  towns,  they  rank  far  ahead  except  in  total  number  of 
wage  earners  and  in  value  of  total  output.  In  these  two  particulars 
alone  did  Winston-Salcm  outrank  Durham.  This  is  explained  in  part 
by  the  fact  that  our  large  factories  of  East  and  West  Durham  are 
outside  the  city  limits,  hence  not  included  in  the  comparison  by  the 
Federal  report. 

The  above  facts  are  significant,  and  they  are  a  distinct  compliment 
to  both  our  factory  managers  and  their  employees. 


30     DL'I^IrA^[  Couxty:  Economic  and  Social 

Lest  We  Forget 

But  let  us  not  Ibe  too  elated  over  the  above  record,  for  there  is 
another  side  of  the  question  to  be  considered.  If  the  reader  will  study 
the  facts  under  the  head  "Wage  Earners"  of  Table  I,  following  this 
discussion,  he  will  find  that  Durham  had,  in  1914,  a  larger  per  cent  of 
.women  and  children  among  her  total  workers  than  did  any  other 
'city  of  North  Carolina.  This  is  a  compliment  to  the  women  and 
children,  still  they  are  facts  to  be  regretted.  The  only  way  the  author 
can  get  any  consolation  from  such  a  condition,  is  to  combine  these 
facts  with  those  above,  which  makes  us  able  to  say  that  the  women 
and  children  of  Durham  are  more  efficient  workers  than  are  the  men 
of  any  other  city  in  the  state.  Either  this  or  our  captains  of  industry 
chose  more  wisely  the  right  types  of  manufacture.  We  should  still  re- 
member, however,  that  our  boys  and  girls  are  going  out  in  life  to 
compete  with  those  from  other  cities,  who  have  been  in  school  more 
and  in  factories  less  than  ours.  This  does  not  seem  quite  fair  to  our 
young  people. 

This  is  no  thrust  at  our  manufacturers.  All  of  them  may  be  oper- 
ating in  perfect  accord  with  the  Child  Labor  Law  at  present,  and 
perhaps  they  were  doing  so  in  1914.  Nevertheless,  it  is  a  fact  that  if 
we  were  doing  all  the  law  required  at  that  time,  the  other  towns  were 
doing  more,  which  was  giving  their  boys  and  girls  an  advantage  over 
ours  in  preparation  for  life. 

It  should  be  said  to  the  credit  of  the  managers  of  the  Durham 
Hosiery  Mills  that  they  realized  the  situation  several  years  ago  and 
started  a  night  school  for  all  their  employees,  paying  every  item  of 
expense  even  to  books,  pencils  and  tablets.  Although  this  school  has 
been  taken  over  by  the  city  authorities  and  is  now  conducted  at  the 
Edgemont  School  building  as  a  part  of  the  city  system,  the  Durham 
Hosiery  Mills,  the  Chatham  Hosiery  Mill,  and  the  North  State  Knit- 
ting Mill  are  still  furnishing  books  and  supplies  for  all  their  em- 
ployees who  attend. 

Industries  in  Greater  Detail 

In  a  brief  treatise  like  this  it  would  be  impossible  to  give  a  de- 
tailed account  of  the  organization,  growth  and  present  importance  of 
each  of  our  factories.  One  short  paragraph  devoted  to  each  would 
make  a  story  entirely  too  long  to  be  included  in  this  bulletin.  How- 
ever, the  reader  will  find  at  the  end  of  this  chapter,  in  tabulated  form, 
the  most  important  facts  about  our  cotton  factories,  knitting  mills,  to- 
bacco factories,  and  other  miscellaneous  concerns  having  a  capital 
stock  of  $50,000  or  more.  Taken  according  to  amount  of  capital  in- 
vested, value  of  annual  output,  and  number  of  wage  earners,  the  to- 
bacco industry  comes  first. 


l)ii:iiAM   ('ur.Niv:   K(<».\i>.M h'  and  Sociaf.  31 

Tobacco  Factories 

The  tobacco  industry  was  started  on  a  small  scale  before  the  Civil 
War  by  Mr.  John  R.  Green,  and  it  has  been  increased  with  the  rapid 
growth  of  the  town.  In  1915  the  total  capital  stock  of  our  tobacco 
factories  was  around  $8,000,000.  It  has  been  impossible  to  get  the 
exact  figures  regarding  this  industry  because  our  largest  plants  arc 
only  branch  otTices  of  large  corporations.  I  estimated  the  capital 
stock  of  the  W.  Duke  Sons  and  Company  from  the  value  at  whicli 
the  plant  was  listed  for  taxation,  $4,362,702.  letting  this  tax  value 
represent  65  per  cent  of  the  actual  value.  Tlie  estimate,  therefore,  is 
$6,711,849,  which  is  probably  too  much,  as  tlic  book  value  of  a  business 
usually  exceeds  the  amount  of  the  capital  stock. 

In  1915  the  tive  largest  plants  in  this  industry  provided  employment 
for  2.650  wage  earners,  who  received  $1,027,578  for  tlicir  work.  The 
manufactured  products  which  they  produced  were  valued  at  around 
$35,OOO.lXX).  While  five  companies  are  included  in  these  totals  the 
two  largest  ones  do  more  than  nine-tenths  of  the  business.  In  1915 
the  largest  of  these  companies,  the  W.  Duke  Sons  and  Company, 
represented  around  five-sixths  of  the  capital,  two-thirds  of  the  work- 
ers, and  three-fifths  of  the  value  of  the  output.  The  value  of  the 
output  given  in  the  table  for  this  factory  may  not  be  correct.  The 
value  was  not  given  in  tlie  state  report.  I  calculated  that  if  903  work- 
ers for  the  Blackwell  Durham  Tobacco  Company  produced  products 
worth  $12,000,000.  at  the  same  rate  1.741  workers  for  the  W.  Duke 
Sons  and  Company  ought  to  have  produced  products  of  the  same 
nature  worth  around  $23,136,149.  Tliis  is  used  for  the  value  of  their 
manufactured  products. 

The  next  in  importance  is  the  Blackwell  Durham  Tobacco  Com- 
pany which,  in  1915,  employed  al)out  a  third  of  the  workers  in  this 
industry  and  produced  more  than  a  third  of  the  value  of  the  total 
output.  Considerable  additions  have  been  made  to  this  plant  witliin 
the  last  two  years,  and  the  output  has  been  materially  increased. 

Cotton  Factories 

Next  in  importance,  according  to  capital  invested,  value  <>i  output, 
and  number  of  wage  earners  employed,  come  our  cotton  factories. 
.•\ccording  to  the  report  of  the  North  Carolina  Labor  Commissioner, 
the  first  cotton  factory  in  our  county  was  the  Durham  Cotton  Manu- 
facturing Company  of  East  Durham,  organized  in  1884.  This  was 
followed  by  the  Erwin  Mills,  of  West  Durham,  in  1892,  the  Pearl 
Mill  in  1893,  the  Golden  Belt  in  1899,  and  the  Little  River  Manu- 
facturing Company  in  1906.  The  date  for  the  Commonwealth,  now 
Duke  Yarn  Company,  is  not  given. 

The  total  capital  stock  of  these  eight  factories,  in  1915,  was  $5,- 
510,000.     They  gave  employment  to  1,848  people  who  received  some- 


32  Durham  Cou^'ty:  Ecoxomic  axd  Social 

thing  over  $636,246  for  their  work,  or  an  average  of  $344.17  per 
worker.  Included  in  this  number  of  workers  were,  of  course,  many 
children,  which  causes  the  average  to  be  somewhat  low.  The  products 
which  these  workers  manufactured  were  valued  at  $7,926,025. 

The  most  important  of  our  cotton  factories  are  the  Erwin  Mills, 
of  West  Durham.  These  represent  about  two-thirds  of  the  capital 
invested  in  this  industry.  These  mills  paid  the  largest  average  wages 
among  the  cotton  mills,  but  from  the  value  of  the  products  which 
their  wage  earners  produced,  they  seemed  to  get  the  smallest  returns 
for  the  money  paid  out.  The  figures  show  that  1,073  workers  manu- 
factured goods  valued  at  $2,450,000  for  which  work  they  received 
$397,836.  The  wages  here  are  a  little  over  16  per  cent  of  the  value  of 
the  products   manufactured. 

The  opposite  to  the  above  conditions  is  found  in  connection  with 
the  Golden  Belt  Cotton  Mill.  This  mill  paid  its  workers  the  smallest 
average  annual  wage  in  1915,  while  they  produced  the  largest  returns 
as  shown  by  the  value  of  the  products  they  manufactured.  In  this 
instance  the  figures  show  that  262  workers  produced  manufactured 
goods  valued  at  $4,647,346.  For  this  work  they  received  $69,072,  or  an 
average  annual  wage  of  $263.43,  which  was  the  lowest  average  paid  by 
any  of  our  cotton  mills.  The  wages  here  are  only  1.4  per  cent  of  the 
value  of  the  products  produced. 

Knitting  Mills 

Next  in  importance  come  our  knitting  mills,  with  a  total  capital 
stock,  in  1915,  of  $1,496,227.  This  was  less  than  a  third  the  amount 
invested  in  cotton  factories  and  about  a  fifth  of  that  invested  in 
tobacco  factories.  The  knitting  mills  gave  employment  to  1,297  workers, 
who  received  $471,530  as  wages,  an  annual  wage  of  $363.61  per  worker. 
This  was  a  little  more  than  the  average  for  the  cotton  mill  employees. 

The  Durham  Hosiery  Mills 

Our  largest  knitting  concern  is  The  Durham  Hosiery  Mills  Cor- 
poration, which  is  one  of  the  largest  of  the  kind  in  this  country.  This 
company  has  over  nine-tenths  the  capital  invested  in  the  knitting  in- 
dustry in  this  county.  In  1915  this  company  employed  in  Durham 
1,121  wage  earners  who  received  nearly  a  half  million  dollars  for  their 
work.  The  growth  of  this  company  since  its  organization  in  1898  has 
been  unusual.  From  one  building  in  Edgemont  at  the  beginning,  it 
has  grown  to  four  buildings  here  in  Durham  and  five  in  other  towns 
— two  in  Chapel  Hill,  one  in  Mebane,  one  in  High  Point,  and  one  in 
Goldsboro.  The  total  capital  stock  is  now  around  $3,000,000.  This 
company  spins  its  own  thread  and  knits  it  into  hosiery,  making  about 


DruuA.M   ('(»i.\iv:   K(«>nomu-  and  Soiiai.  'V.) 

18,000  dozen  |)air  inT  day.  For  some  limr  it  has  hvvu  furnishing  large 
government  orders,  the  goods  passing  without  trouble  the  inspection 
of  the  government  agents.  This  fact  alone  is  sufficient  proof  of  the 
quality  of  the  Durable  Durham   Hosiery. 

The  success  of  this  company  led  other  investors  into  tliis  industry, 
and  the  Chatham  Knitting  Mill,  the  North  State  Knitting  Mill,  and 
the  Louise  Knitting  Mill  were  establislied  i)rior  to  1915.  Since  that 
time  all  the  above  have  added  capital  and  enlarged  their  business.  Since 
1915  ftnir  other  knitting  mills  of  importance  and  two  or  three  small 
ones  liave  been  organized,  and  some  have  doubled  their  capital  stock. 
The  largest  of  these  are  the  Pilot  Mill,  of  West  Durham,  and  the 
Bowling-Emory  Mill  in  the  city.     The  others  are  in  East  Durham. 

Flour  Mills 

Durham  county  has  a  number  of  small  grist  mills,  but  the  one  of 
greatest  importance  is  the  .-Kustin-Heaton  Company  in  the  city.  It 
began  business  in  1896,  with  an  output  of  100  l)arrels  of  flour  per  day. 
In  1910  the  capacity  was  increased  to  255  barrels  per  day,  and  in  1917 
it  was  raised  to  800  barrels  per  day. 

This  mill  is  operated  day  and  night,  and  in  addition  to  the  flour, 
it  turns  out  around  200  barrels  of  corn  meal  and  40  tons  of  feed  stuff 
every  twenty- four  hours.  It  has  succeeded  in  placing  its  products 
over  this  and  adjoining  states,  and  it  is  competing  successfully  with 
the  larger  mills  of  the  West. 

Other  Miscellaneous  Factories 

Included  under  the  head  of  Miscellaneous  Factories  are  49  plants 
not  already  mentioned,  which  produce  about  35  different  kinds  of 
products  varying  all  the  way  from  candy  and  cakes  to  make  one  sick, 
buggies  to  haul  him  to  the  hospital,  medicine  to  administer  to  him 
while  there,  lumber  for  his  cofiin,  to  a  tombstone  for  his  grave.  The 
total  capital  for  all  of  these,  in  1915,  was  $2,605,893.  The  number  of 
workers  employed  was  892,  the  total  wages  $275,311.  and  the  average 
annual  wage  $295.85.  This  is  a  smaller  average  wage  than  for  the 
indutrics  treated  separately.  .Among  tlic  miscellaneous  factories,  the 
Golden  Belt  Bag  Mill  paid  tlie  smallest  wage  and  tlic  Seeman  Printcry 
paid  the  highest. 

(•ains  Since  1915 

During  tlic  last  two  years  there  has  been  a  tremendous  growth  in 
most  of  our  industrial  plants.  Around  three  million  dollars  fresh 
capital  has  been  applied ;  old  factories  have  been  enlarged ;  five  new 
hosiery  mills  organized;  a  large  tobacco  factory,  the  Imperial,  modern 
in  every  particular,  l)uilt ;  and  many  smaller  concerns  started. 

Figures  secured  in  1918,  direct  from  the  four  largest  factories  in 
Durham,  show  that  since  the   1915  report  their  combined  number  of 


34  Durham  County:  Economic  and  Social 

workers  has  increased  about  60  per  cent  and  that  their  pay  rolls  have 
more  than  doubled.  These  figures  do  not  include  the  workers  in  the 
Duke  Yarn  Mill,  which  was  idle  in  1915,  or  those  of  the  new  knitting 
mills  organized  since.  The  number  of  employees  of  the  cotton  fac- 
tories in  East  and  West  Durham  have  not  increased  as  much  as  the 
workers  in  the  city,  but  it  is  a  very  conservative  estimate  to  say  that 
the  total  employees  in  the  county  have  increased  around  50  per  cent 
in  three  years,  and  the  total  pay  roll  around  100  per  cent.  This  would 
give  us  at  present  over  10,030  wage  earners,  who  will  receive  in  1918 
around  $4,821,530.  And  if  the  value  of  the  total  manufactured  pro- 
ducts of  the  county  have  increased  proportionately,  they  will  be  worth 
this  year  around  ninety-five  million  dollars ! 

Opportunities 

With  these  things  said,  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  Durham 
offers  unusual  opportunities  to  all  who  are  looking  for  a  place  to 
locate.  With  so  much  money  invested  by  large  corporations  our  future 
seems  safe,  which  makes  our  city  an  inviting  place  for  the  investor. 
With  about  the  smallest  bank  capital  per  capita  of  any  North  Carolina 
city,  and  next  to  the  largest  amount  of  money  to  be  handled — Winston- 
Salem  alone  being  ahead  of  us — we  offer  unusual  advantages  to  the 
banker.  Our  million  dollar  corporations  beckon  to  the  men  who  are 
ambitious  to  become  the  managers  of  large  concerns.  Our  hundreds 
of  offices  offer  opportunity  for  those  who  like  clerical  work.  Our 
various  industries  offer  suitable  employment  for  all  classes  of  work- 
ers. These  create  opportunity  for  the  merchant,  the  lawyer,  the 
doctor,  the  teacher,  the  preacher,  and  all  the  rest. 


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CLASSIFIED   INDUSTRIES 
Based  on  1915  Report  of  the  State  Labor  Commissioner 


I    f 


COTTON  FACTORIES 

Commonwealth    

Golden  Belt  Cotton  Mill 

Pearl  Cotton  Mill   

Durham   Cotton   Mfg.   Co 

Erwin  Alills  I 

Erwm   Mills   IV 

Erwin    Mills    Bleacherv 

Little  River  Mig.   Co 

Totals     

KNITTING  MILLS. 

Chatham  Knitting  Mill 

Durham   Hosiery   Mill 

North  State  Knitting  Mill 

Louise  Knitting  Mill  Co 

Totals 

TOBACCO  FACTORIES. 

Blackwell  Durham  Tobacco  Co 

W.  Duke,  Sons  &  Co 

Export  Leaf  Tobacco  Co 

Imperial  Tobacco  Co 

Venable   Tobacco    Co 

Totals     

MISCELLANEOUS    FACTORIES 

Golden  Belt  Bag  Mill 

Austin-Heaton   Co 

Deal    Palmer    Company 

Durham   Buggy  Company 

Durham    Lumber    Company 

Peabody    Drug    Company 

Seeman    Printery 

All    Others 

Total    

Cotton    Factories 

Knitting  Mills 

Tobacco   Factories 

Miscellaneous  Factories  

Grand  Total  


^  125.000 
700.000 
175,000 
450,000 

4,000,000 

60,000 


4,647,346 

256,480 

501,480 

1,200.000 

1,250,000 

70,715 


69,072 
53,260 
116,078 
172,236 
171,600 
54,000 
t 


262.2 

152.3 

361. 

463. 

473. 

137. 

(36.3) 


5,510.000  I  7,926,025  |   636,246  |  1848, 


I 

53,000  I 
1,403.000  1 

19,165  I 

21,062  I 

1,496,227 


147,212 

1,250.000 

43,393 

30,136 

1,470741 


1,000,000  12,000,000 

t6,711.849  23,136,149 

920  I     1,121 

2,500  I     6,973 

54,852  I     6,000 


40,703 
412.300 

11,027 

^7^500 

471,530 


275,000 

750,000 

157 

2,421 

(2,445 ) 


110. 

1121. 

35.8 

30. 


1,296.8 


903. 
1741. 


263.43 
349.70 
321.54 
372.00 
362.47 
394.16 


344.17 


370.00 
367.79 
308.01 
250^ 
363.61 


304.54 
430.78 
314.00 
440.18 


7,770,101  I  35,150,243  |  1,027,578  ';  2,650.  |  3S7.76 


1,612,671 
188,700 
66,522 
96,132 
60,074 
66.082 
56,349 
459,363 


2.605,893 


5,510,000 
1,496,227 
7,770,101 
2,605,893 


17,382.221 


1,487,429 

449,732 

50,146 

87,138 

91,370 

5,480 

43,806 

452,644 

2,667745  |   275,311 


116,606 

5,224 

7,044 

(11,433) 

22,169 

1,352 

12,142 

99.341 


485. 
13. 
17. 

49. 
4. 

17. 
307. 
892. 


241.41 
401.84 
414.35 

454.28 
338.00 
71423 
323.58 
295.85 


GRAND  TOTALS 


7,926,025 

1,470,741 

35,150,243 

2,667,745 


47,214,754 


636,246  1.848.5  I  344.17 

471,530  1.296.8  I  363.61 

1,027,578  I  2.650.  I  387.76 

275,311  I      892.  |  295.85 


2,410,765      6,687.3  I  360.49 


*Idle  in  1915. 

tEvidently  there  is  an  error  in   Mr.   Shipman's  report  for  this   factory,  hence  average 
wage  not  used. 

JNot  given  in  Shipman's  report;  estimated  from  tax  list  of  1916. 


DiKiiAM   Coimy:   K(i>.\(».\iic  am>  Sori.vi.  ;{7 

FARM  CONDITIONS 

W  .    M.    L'jviirHCii 

The  fiKuri's  upon  wliicli  this  cliai)ttT  is  l)ase(l  may  he  found  at 
the  end  of  the  chapter. 

Too  Much  Idle  Land 

Industrial  captains  see  to  it  tliat  their  entire  i)Iants  are  in  operation 
all  the  time.  This  is  not  true  of  our  farmers.  I^css  than  three-tenths, 
or  29.3  per  cent,  of  our  farm  lands  was  under  cultivation  in  1910.  This 
was  about  the  state  average,  but  our  farmers  should  not  be  satisfied 
to  be  on  an  average  with  the  state  at  large,  when  they  have  a  local 
market  such  as  few  other  counties  have.  They  can  easily  dispose  of 
all  products  at  good  prices  in  Durham.  There  were  only  48.825  acres 
under  the  plow  in  1910,  while  137,415  acres  were  idle.  Fifty-three 
counties  made  a  better  showing.  The  dead  capital  tied  up  in  idle 
farm  land  in  Durham  county  is  more  than  two  million  dollars,  reckoned 
on  census  values ;  and  more  than  four  million  dollars,  reckoned  on 
current  market  values.  This  amount  of  dead  capital  in  the  best  busi- 
ness in  Durham  City   would  wreck  it  in  six  months. 

Elbow-Room  for  New  Farm  Families 

Reserving  fifty  thousand  acres  for  woodlot  uses  and  allowing 
seventy-five  acres  to  each  family,  there  is  room  for  1.165  new  farm 
families.  If  we  count  five  to  the  family,  this  would  mean  5,825  more 
country  people  in  the  county.  It  would  increase  our  farm  population 
nearly  three- fourtlis,  and  the  volume  of  farm  wealtii  two  fold  or 
more. 

Such  an  arrangement  would,  of  course,  mean  smaller  holdings 
upon  an  average.  l)Ut  nijt  smaller  farms  in  actual  cultivation.  This 
would  be  a  distinct  social  advantage,  because  it  would  bring  the  people 
closer  together  and  afford  an  opportunity  for  greater  cooperation.  Nor 
should  more  farmers  even  on  smaller  farms  prove  an  economic  dis- 
advantage. Our  rolling  land  in  many  |)laces  prevents  the  use  of  the 
best  labor-saving,  profit-producing  machinery ;  and  the  nature  of  our 
main  products,  cotton  and  tobacco,  makes  a  large  amount  of  hand- 
work necessary.  But  both  the  high  price  of  labor  and  the  scarcity 
mean  fewer  hired  men  on  our  farms.  All  of  these  conditions  seem  to 
justify  intensive  rather  than  extensive  farming.  Small  home-owning 
farmers  are  the  hope  of  Durham  and  every  other  city-county  in  North 
Carolina;  and  we  invite  them  in  from  the  Xortli  and  the  West.  They 
can  secure  better  land  for  less  money  in  Durham  than  anywhere  else 
on  the  continent.  Besides,  the  local  market  offers  comfortable  profits 
for  anything  they  can  produce. 


38  Durham  County:  Economic  and  Social 

In  1910  our  farms  averaged  30.2  cultivated  acres  per  farm.  At  the 
same  time  665  farms,  or  rather  more  than  a  third  of  the  total,  con- 
tained less  than  50  acres  each,  while  951  contained  more,  the  largest 
being  the  Cameron  farm  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county,  which 
contains  more  than  nine  thousand  acres.  It  is  the  large  farms  which 
could  be  divided  to  advantage.  Certainly  we  do  not  need  farms  re- 
duced to  the  small  one-horse  type,  which  would  preclude  the  profit- 
able use  of  much  labor-saving  machinery.  The  need  is  for.  more  such 
machinery,  with  more  and  heavier  work  animals.  Small  mules  and 
horses  and  the  one-horse  plow  are  among  our  greatest  farm  disad- 
vantages. 

Farm  Implements  and  Horsepower 

Effectiveness  of  effort  depends  largely  on  the  tools  used.  Dur- 
ham county  farmers  make  a  fair  show  in  this  particular.  In  1910 
they  had  $2.14  worth  of  farm  implements  for  every  acre  of  cultivated 
land,  which  was  4  cents  per  acre  above  the  state  average,  but  38  cents 
per  acre  below  the  United  States  average.  We  ranked  fifty-first 
among  the  counties  of  the  state  in  this  particular.  New  Hanover  led 
with  $4.40,  while  Madison  was  lowest  with  84  cents  per  acre. 

Our  showing  in  horsepower  per  cultivated  acre  was  much  better. 
In  this  particular  we  ranked  11th  in  the  state,  only  ten  counties  mak- 
ing a  better  show.  On  the  average  we  had  one  horse  for  every  21.53 
cultivated  acres.  This  is  much  better  than  the  state  average,  but  a 
little  below  that  of  the  United  States.  Dare  led  with  a  horse  for 
every  10.81  acres  cultivated,  but  this  county  is  a  fishing,  not  a  farm- 
ing civilization.  Caldwell  ranked  lowest,  cultivating  53.44  acres  per 
work-animal.  This  vast  difference  is  explained  by  the  fact  that  one 
county  is  in  the  trucking  region  while  the  other  is  in  the  grain,  hay 
and  forage  section  of  the  state.  We  should  remember,  too,  that  in 
the  trucking  area  they  cultivate  two  or  three  successive  crops  on  the 
same  acre,  while  in  the  grain  belt  they  get  only  one  crop  and  that 
with  little  horsepower.  On  the  whole,  however,  we  need  more  in- 
tensive farming  with  better  work-stock  and  more  labor-saving  ma- 
chinery, and  now  more  than  ever,  because  of  decreasing  farm  labor. 

Farm  Indebtedness 

No  man  can  do  his  best  when  he  is  too  heavily  loaded  down  with 
debt.  Many  of  our  farmers  in  1910  had  not  been  able  to  free  them- 
selves from  debts  and  mortgages  incurred  during  the  preceding 
years.  Of  our  white  farmers  52  per  cent  owned  their  own  homes 
and  farms  and  about  a  seventh  of  these  were  covered  by  mortgages. 
We  were  below  the  state  average  in  the  cultivation  of  farms  by 
owners,  but  we  made  a  better  showing  than  the  state  at  large  in  free- 
dom from  debt. 


Di  KiiAM   ('or.Niv:  KcoNoMK-  .\.M>  Social  .'5!> 

The  negro  farmers  were  of  course  behind  the  whites.  Only  a  fifth, 
or  20  per  cent,  of  these  claimed  to  own  their  farms ;  and  more  than  a 
fourth,  or  26  per  cent,  were  mortgaged.  They  were  not  up  to  the 
state  standard  in  ownership,  but  in  the  matter  of  mortgage  debt  they 
were  exactly  on  a  level  with  their  race  in  the  state  at  large. 

Because  of  good  prices  for  products  since  1910  it  is  probable  that 
the  above  conditions  have  been  greatly  improved,  but  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  wait  until  the  next  census  for  tlic  exact  figures. 

The  Evil  of  Farm  Tenancy 

The  history  of  farming  shows  tliat  no  community  ever  reaches  the 
highest  stage  of  agriculture  until  the  farms  are  operated  mainly  by  the 
owners.  The  average  tenant  is  such  because  he  is  lacking  either  in 
industry,  thrift,  or  sagacity.  Since  he  moves  frequently,  he  has  little 
interest  in  soil  building  or  soil  preservation,  and  hence  makes  little  or  no 
preparation  in  the  fall  for  his  next  crop.  Living  on  the  crop-lien, 
supply-merchant  plan,  he  is  forced  to  devote  his  attention  to  ready- 
money  crops  to  the  neglect  of  food,  feed  stufTs  and  stock.  Moving 
from  place  to  place  frecjuently,  he  lias  little  interest  in  beautifying  his 
home  or  helping  to  build  and  maintain  good  schools  and  churches. 

In  1910  nearly  three-fifths,  or  56.5  per  cent,  of  all  our  farmers 
were  tenants.  The  state  average  was  42.3  per  cent.  However,  during 
the  period  from  1900  to  1910  we  had  a  2.4  per  cent  decrease  in  tenants, 
showing  that  some  of  the  landless  bought  farms.  There  were  in 
1910  in  our  county  505  white  and  407  negro  tenant  families. 

Our  landless,  homeless  tenants  numbered  about  4,560  souls.  This 
is  no  thrust  at  this  unfortunate  class.  What  they  need  is  to  buy  and 
own  farms  of  their  own  and  to  devote  their  energies  to  improving 
them,  and  this  especially  in  this  year  of  high  prices  and  abounding 
prosperity  in  the  farm  regions. 

Helping  the  Tenants  to  Buy  a  P'arm 

When  the  average  renter  wislies  to  buy  a  farm  home,  he  finds  an 
up-hill  job.  He  is  usually  unable  to  pay;  but  when  he  has  the  money, 
he  may  not  always  find  a  landowner  who  cares  to  sell. 

Both  of  these  difficulties  may  be  largely  overcome.  In  every  com- 
munity there  are  some  landowners  who  have  surplus  cash,  as  well  as 
idle  lands.  When  these  realize  fully  how  much  better  it  is  to  have  a 
desirable  citizen  permanently  located  in  their  neighborhood,  they  may 
tender  aid  to  the  deserving  home-seeker,  either  as  individuals  or  as 
groups  such  as  the  credit  unions.  They  can  lend  him  the  money  with 
which  to  buy  a  farm,  and  frequently  they  do. 

There  is  plenty  of  land  in  North  Carolina  owned  by  well-to-do 
absentee  landlords  living  in  town  or  in  another  county  or  state,  who 
are  holding  their  lands  out  of  productive  use  for  higher  prices.     In 


40  DuiiiiAM  Couxty:  Economic  and  Social 

such  cases  where  the  owners  will  not  sell  at  reasonable  prices  a  little 
legislation  may  help  matters  wonderfully.  A  higher  tax  on  land  not 
operated  by  owners  would  be  a  step  in  the  right  direction.  This  tax 
could  be  so  graduated  that  the  more  land  the  absentee  landlord  owns 
the  higher  tax  rate  he  must  pay,  as  in  Australia,  New  Zealand  and 
some  of  the  Canadian  provinces.  Such  an  arrangement  would  make 
large  holdings  not  operated  by  the  owners  unprofitable,  and  thus  force 
the  land  on  the  market  for  those  who  will  develop  it  into  productive 
farms  and  substantial  homes. 

Farms  Too  Lightly  Stocked 

Poultry  Increase. — As  the  population  of  Durham  county  has  in- 
creased, the  supply  of  home  raised  meats,  with  the  exception  of 
poultry,  has  decreased.  Our  increase  in  the  number  of  poultry  be- 
tween 1900  and  1910,  gave  us  the  rank  of  12th  in  this  particular.  Dur- 
ing this  period  our  increase  was  37.1  per  cent.  This  was  a  capital 
gain,  but  not  commensurate  with  the  increase  in  population  or  the  de- 
mand for  pouhry.  In  1910  there  were  only  35,311  fowls  of  all  kinds 
in  the  county,  or  around  one  fowl  per  person  per  year.  The  average 
demand  is  thirteen  per  year  per  inhabitant. 

Cattle  Decrease.  In  the  number  of  cattle  per  1,000  acres  of  land 
in  1910,  we  ranked  36th,  which  was  a  little  above  the  state  average. 
Ashe  county  led  with  81  cattle,  and  Dare  was  lowest  with  5  per  1,000 
acres.  Our  state  average  was  23,  far  below  the  average  of  the  United 
States,  which   was  61. 

But  the  small  number  of  cattle  was  not  the  worst  part.  The  records 
show  that  between  1900  and  1910  the  number  of  our  cattle  decreased 
14  per  cent,  while  the  state  as  a  whole  increased  12  per  cent,  and 
Caldwell  county  gained  62  per  cent. 

Swine  Decrease. — The  situation  is  nearly  the  same  with  regard  to 
hogs.  In  1910  we  had  only  28  per  1,000  acres.  Sixty  counties  made 
a  better  showing.  The  state  average  was  39.  The  average  for  the 
country  at 'large  was  66,  while  in  Iowa  it  was  263  hogs  per  1,000  acres. 
In  North  Carolina,  Johnston  county  was  first  with  121  hogs  and  Dare 
was  last  with  only  8  per  1,000  acres. 

As  with  cattle,  there  was  a  decrease  in  the  number  of  hogs  from 
1900  to  1910,  amounting  to  9  per  cent.  Perhaps  this  loss  is  not  so  great 
as  it  seems.  Along  with  this  decrease  in  number  came  a  gain  in  breeds 
which  may  have  meant  an  increase  in  pounds.  But  the  fact  remains 
that  we  have  too  little  home  raised  meat,  and  the  price  is  steadily 
advancing. 

In  the  light  of  these  facts  the  recent  efforts  of  ex-Sheriff  Blacknall 
to  bring  a  large  number  of  pigs  into  Durham  county,  become  a  pa- 
triotic service  of  no  little  importance.  We  should  give  him  the  praise 
and  encouragement  which  he  justly  deserves. 


DiKIIAM     ColMV:     I<!«U,\(..\|IC     AM)    SoCIAI  !I 

ShEKP  Ixjss.  When  wc  consider  tlie  slieej)  loss,  the  situation  ^cts 
worse.  In  this  item  we  suffered,  in  the  census  period,  a  loss  of  63  per 
cent.  This  means  tliat  wc  had  294  sliecp  fewer  in  1910  than  in  19()0. 
Puttinji  tile  government  estimate  on  their  value,  wiiidi  is  far  too  low 
at  present  prices,  this  meant  a  loss  of  $1,058.40.  • 

Our  farmers  ou^ht  to  keep  in  mind  the  fact  tliat  whether  we  con- 
sider the  state  or  the  United  States,  we  find  that  high  per  capita 
country  wealth  goes  hand  in  hand  with  an  abundance  of  domestic 
animals,  and  that  low  per  capita  wealtii  is  always  found  where  cattle 
and  other  farm  animals  are  lacking. 

FACTS  ABOUT  FAR.M  CONDITIONS  • 

The  rank  at  the  left  margin  shows  how  many  North  Carolina 
counties  made  a  better  record  than  Durham  county. 

54th     in  land  under  cultivation,  per  cent  of  total  area 29.3 

State  average.  29  per  cent.  Land  under  cultivation.  48.825 
acres.  Idle  acres  were  137,415  or  70.7  per  cent.  Reserv- 
ing 50.000  acres  for  wood-lot  uses  and  allowing  seventy- 
five  acres  to  each  family,  there  is  room  for  1.165  new 
farm  families.  Counting  five  to  the  family  this  would 
mean  5,825  more  farming  people  in  the  county. 

51st     in  investment  in  farm  implements  per  acre,  1910  census $2.14 

New  Hanover  led  with  $4.40 ;  Madison  lowest  with  84  cents 
per  acre.  State  average  $2.10;  United  States  average, 
$2.52. 

11th     in  horsepower,  acres  cultivated  per  work  animal 21.53 

Dare  led  with  10.81  ;  Caldwell  ranked  lowest  with  53.44 
cultivated  acres  per  work-animal.  State  average  25.85 
acres;  United  States  average,  19.81  acres. 

81st     in  negro  farm  owners,  per  cent  of  all  negro  farmers 20 

State  average  per  cent  was  33.  Negro  farm  owners  in 
Durham  county.  105.  White  farm  owners  in  Durham 
county  are  52  per  cent  of  all  farmers.  State  averaye  was 
65.5  per  cent  of  all  farmers. 

36th     in  white  farms  mortgaged,  per  cent  of  total 14 

State  average  for  whites.  17  per  cent.  Graham  led  with 
only  2  per  cent;  Tyrrell  with  37  per  cent  is  worst. 

41st     in  negro  farms  mortgaged,  per  cent  of  total 26 

State  average  for  negroes  was  26  per  cent.  For  both  races 
18.5  per  cent.  Graham  county  ranked  1st  with  2  per  cent: 
Tyrrell  came  last  with  37  per  cent. 


42  Ddkham  County:  Economic  and  Social 

79th    in  farm  tenancy,  1910,  per  cent  of  all  farmers 56.5 

The  state  average  was  42.3  per  cent.  Decrease  in  farm  ten- 
ancy in  Durham  county  from  1900  to  1910  was  2.4  per 
cent.  Forty-seven  counties  made  a  decrease.  White  ten- 
am  families  in  Durham  county,  505 ;  colored  tenant  fam- 
ilies, 407.  There  were  745  croppers,  and  167  were  cash 
or  standing  rent  tenants.  Tenants  raise  cotton  and  to- 
bacco mainly,  and  neglect  diversified  farming  and  stock. 
The  landless,  homeless  white  tenants  with  their  families 
numbered  about  2,525  souls. 

76th     in  number  of  farms  in  1910,  number 1,616 

Average  cultivated  acres  per  farm,  30.2.  Size  of  cultivated 
farms  is  larger  in  57  counties.  Forty-one  per  cent  of  the 
farms  are  less  than  50  acres  in  size,  both  cultivated  and 
uncultivated  land  considered;  665  farms  are  less  than  50 
acres  in  size;  951  are  over  50  acres  in  size. 

12th     in  poultry  increase,  1900  to  1910,  per  cent 37.1 

We  had  35,311  fowls  of  all  kinds  in  Durham  county  in  1910. 
Rank  in  number  of  fowls  on  hand,  70th.  Johnston  led 
with  127,254  fowls. 

36th     in  cattle  per  1,000  acres,  1910  census 26 

State  average,  23;  United  States  average,  61.  Ashe  led  with 
81 ;  Dare  lowest  with  5. 

53rd     in  cattle  decrease,  1900-1910,  per  cent 14 

Caldwell    increased    62    per    cent.      State    average    increase, 

12  per  cent. 
In  1910  Durham  had  only  3,845  cattle. 

61st     in  hogs  per  1,000  acres,  1910  census   28 

Johnston  first  with  121.  Dare  last  with  only  8.  State  av- 
erage, 39;  United  States  average,  66.     Iowa,  263. 

20th     in  swine  decrease,   1900-1910,  per  cent 9 

Sixty-nine  counties  decreased  in  swine;  only  28  increased, 
mainly  in  the  tidewater  counties.  Hyde  led  the  increase 
with  61  per  cent;  Moore  comes  last  with  a  decrease  of 
55  per  cent. 
In  1910  there  were  only  4,696  hogs  in  Durham  county;  in 
1917  there  were  4,346,  a  loss  of  350  in  seven  years. 

53rd     in  sheep  losses,  1900-1910,  per  cent 63 

Total  number  lost,  294;  worth,  $1,058.40. 


DriMiAM   ('«»r.\iY:    Kconomic  am»  S(kuai.  415 

FARM  PRACTICES 

W.    M.    li'.  una  II 

As  usual  tlie  fiKurcs  which  serve  as  a  foundation  for  the  following 
discussion  may  be  found  at  the  end  of  the  cliapter. 

Whatever  may  be  the  conditions  on  our  farms  at  present,  they  arc, 
in  part  at  least,  the  result  of  the  farm  practices  of  the  past.  One 
method  of  farming  deiiletes  tlic  fertility  of  tlie  soil  and  reduces  the 
per  acre  yields,  while  another  method  enriches  our  lands  and  imrca'Ms 
our  returns. 

Old  Practices 

Judging  from  the  appearance  of  the  country,  it  seems  that  many 
of  our  ancestors  had  little  idea  of  soil  preservation  or  soil  building. 
In  most  places  our  unused  lands  are  covered  with  pine  forests,  which 
show  that  at  some  time  the  soil  has  been  cultivated.  Among  the 
trees  one  may  find  the  remains  of  old  rows,  running  almost  straight 
up  and  down  the  hill,  which  caused  the  soil  to  wash  off  and  the  land 
to  become  thin  so  that  the  field  was  abandoned  to  scrub  pines  and 
black  jacks.  The  winter  months  were  spent  in  clearing  otlicr  land, 
good  timber  being  burned  in  log  heaps  to  get  rid  of  it,  and  then  these 
fields  were  soon  abandoned  as  before.  The  result  is  that  we  have  very 
little  original  growth  timber  and  our  per  acre  crop  yields  are  not  so 
large  as  they  might  have  been. 

In  the  old  days  land  and  labor  were  abundant,  and  we  farmed 
wastefuUy.  But  we  were  at  least  self-feeding,  self-financing  farmers; 
while  today  we  raise  cotton  and  tobacco  and  buy  farm  supplies  from 
the  West.  The  W^est  grows  rich  selling  us  food  stuff,  and  we  grow 
poor  buying  it. 

Among  the  one  hundred  counties  of  the  state,  in  1914,  Durham 
ranked  62nd  in  total  amount  of  cotton  produced,  1,383  bales;  35th  in 
tobacco  production  per  acre,  582  pounds  in  1910;  41st  in  total  value  of 
non-food  crops,  $381,891;  43rd  in  crop  yielding  power  per  acre.  $15.86; 
87th  in  annual  production  of  farm  wealth  per  inhabitant,  $59.50;  96th 
in  food  and  feed  production  per  inhabitant,  $17.00;  and  67th  in  annual 
farm  wealth  produced,  $1,013,127,  whicli  total  covers  both  crops  and 
animal  products. 

Every  three  and  a  half  years  our  farmers  produce  as  much  wealth 
as  they  have  been  able  to  accumulate  in  the  entire  history  of  the 
county.  Of  our  total  crop  wealth  49  per  cent,  or  nearly  half,  has  been 
produced  by  cotton  and  tobacco  and  other  non-food  crops. 

We  are  great  producers  but  poor  retainers  of  wealth.  Our  cotton 
and  tobacco  money  has  to  go  to  buy  food  and  feed  stuff  from  such 
counties  as   .Mlcghany  with  a  per  capita  country  wealth  nearly  three 


44  Durham  County:  Economic  and  Social 

times  that  of  our  farmers,  or  from  states  like  Iowa  whose  total  bank 
account  savings  amount  to  about  seven  times  the  total  for  North 
Carolina.  In  accumulated  country  properties  the  farmers  of  Iowa  are 
fifteen  times  richer  than  Durham  county  farmers,  man  for  man.  In 
1910  we  produced  only  $17  worth  of  food  and  feed  stuflf  per  inhabi- 
tant, which  makes  our  rank  in  this  particular  in  North  Carolina  96th. 
We  are  almost  at  the  bottom  of  the  list.  We  needed  $84  worth  per 
inhabitant,  which  made  our  deficit  $67  per  inhabitant.  All  told,  we 
sent  out  of  the  county,  in  1910,  two  and  a  half  million  dollars  in  ready 
cash  to  pay  for  the  bread  and  meat,  hay  and  forage  we  failed  to  raise 
at  home.  Most  or  all  of  our  cotton  and  tobacco  money  slipped  through 
our  fingers  in  this  way. 

We  need  more  food  and  feed  crops,  more  livestock  and  livestock 
products,  and  industries  such  as  creameries,  cheese  factories  and  the 
like. 

Modern  Methods 

In  the  census  year  we  were  nearly  $10  below  the  average  for  the 
state  in  our  crop-yielding  power  per  acre,  but  since  1910  our  farmers 
are  rapidly  increasing  their  per  acre  yields  of  all  crops.  They  are  also 
raising  less  cotton  and  tobacco  but  more  food  and  feed  crops.  By 
terracing  the  land  and  cultivating  it  more  nearly  on  levels ;  by  sowing 
more  peas,  clover  and  other  winter  cover  crops ;  by  stocking  their 
farms  with  improved  cattle  and  hogs  that  may  be  fed  at  a  profit ; 
by  using  larger  work-animals  to  do  deeper  ploughing;  and  by  better 
rotation  of  crops,  they  are  seeking  to  preserve  and  improve  the  soil 
so  that  it  will  yield  much  larger  returns.  Our  farmers  are  no  longer 
satisfied  with  582  pounds  of  tobacco  or  25  bushels  of  corn  per  acre. 
They  have  learned  that  much  more  than  this  can  be  had  and  they  are 
striving  to  produce  it. 

Country  Life  Agencies 

The  agencies  which  have  been  instrumental  in  bringing  about  such 
a  change  are  to  be  numbered  among  the  greatest  assests  of  our  county. 
Among  these  should  be  mentioned  the  rural  telephone,  good  roads, 
farmers'  unions  and  the  community  and  county  fairs,  which  have 
brought  the  people  into  closer  union  and  enabled  them  to  find  out 
what  the  leaders  are  doing  in  other  parts  of  the  county.  The  farm 
papers,  magazines,  and  public  schools  have  planted  and  cultivated  mod- 
ern farm  ideas.  The  County  Demonstrator  has  advised  our  farmers 
and  shown  them  better  ways.  The  boys'  corn  and  pig  clubs,  and  the 
girls'  canning  clubs,  have  shown  the  grown-ups  what  can  be  easily 
accomplished.  "And  a  little  child  shall  lead  them,"  says  the  Book. 
Truly  this  has  come  to  pass  in  our  farm  regions. 

Under  the  above  head  in  shining  letters  come  our  two  Farm  Life 
Schools.    The  good  done  by  these  institutions  speaks  for  itself.     Even 


Di  i:iiAM   ('«ti  niy:    Kconomic  and  Scmiai.  4."> 

a  casual  observer  needs  only  to  pass  through  the  communities  where 
these  schools  are  located  to  see  the  changes  they  have  brought  about 
in  farming  methods  and  conditions.  What  a  pity  there  is  not  such  a 
school  in  every  corner  of  the  county ! 

The  two  Credit  Unions  at  Lowe's  Grove  and  Bahama  also  rank 
high  among  tlie  present  rural  institutions  of  the  county.  They  not 
only  atlord  the  farmers  opjwrtunity  to  discuss  common  problems  and 
to  help  one  another  finance  their  farms  on  a  cash  basis,  thus  saving 
the  extra  charges  of  the  supply  merchant ;  but  they  are  saving  still 
larger  sums  by  cooperative  buying  and  selling.  In  a  single  year  the 
l.owc's  Grove  Union  has  saved  for  its  members  in  this  way  $650  in 
the  purchase  of  fertilizers  alone.  This  is  more  than  the  entire  amount 
they  had  invested  in  the  Union  in  membership  shares.  Besides  this, 
the  success  which  they  have  had  in  this  work  has  impressed  the 
farmers  with  the  necessity  for  co<>peration.  made  them  more  self- 
respecting  citizens,  created  a  spirit  of  thrift,  and  aroused  in  them  hope 
and  broader  vision  for  the  future.  Our  farmers  are  learning  how  to 
assemble  their  resources  and  establish  credit  machinery — a  lesson  they 
have  long  needed  to  learn. 

Our  people,  especially  our  farmers,  are  deeply  indebted  to  the  Hon. 
John  Spnint  Hill  for  his  efficient  aid  and  direction  in  establishing 
these  farm  credit  unions  in  this  and  other  counties.  The  Carr  Mill 
authorities  have  saved  their  operatives  from  pawn  brokers  and  loan 
sharks  by  the  $10,000  they  put  at  the  service  of  their  operatives,  in 
small  short-time  loans  at  6  per  cent.  Otherwise  here  would  be  a  sit- 
uation calling  for  Cooperative  Credit  Unions  in  a  factory  center. 

An  Encouraging  Outlook 

With  the  start  wc  now  have  in  modern  farming  and  the  continued 
aid  of  the  above  institution  and  agencies,  our  future  looks  promising. 
Our  soil  will  become  more  fertile,  our  fields  more  fruitful,  and  our 
farmers  wealthier  and  better  satisfied.  Indeed,  if  our  gains  in  the 
ne.xt  ten  years  are  as  great  as  during  the  last  ten.  our  fields  will  be- 
come veritable  gardens!  And  our  chances  are  now  better,  three  to 
one.  We  ought  to  do  our  best  to  make  the  gains  of  the  future  surpass 
even  our  greatest  expectations. 

FACTS  ABOUT  FAKM  PRACTICES 

Duri.am's  rank  at  the  left  margin  shows  how  many  counties  make 
a  better  showing. 

62nd     in  cotton  production,  total  number  of  bales.  1914 1.383 

In    1917   the   crop   was   only   407   bales.      Rolieson    and 
Johnston  raised  nearly  one-ninth  of  state  crop. 


m,m0mi 


^iMm^^ 


Dlkiiam  Cointy:  Economic  and  Social  47 

35th     in  tobacco  production  in  1910.  pounds  per  acre 582 

Carteret  county  led  with  915  pounds  per  acre.  Dur 
ham  county  had  3.424  acres  planted  in  tobacco.  1910 
census.     Total  pounds.  1.995.000,  rank  23rd. 

4lst     in  non-food  crops  i)roduced,  cotton  and  tobacco $381,891 

Non-food  crops  produced  annually  are  49  per  cent  of  all 
the  crop  wealth.  Food  and  feed  crops  produced  51 
per  cent  of  all  the  crop  values.  States  averaKi"  <>f 
non-food  crops.  S3  per  cent. 

67th     in  annual  farm  wealtli  produced $1,013,127 

This  total  covers  both  crops  and  animal  products.  Every 
three  and  one-half  years  the  farmers  produce  as  much 
wealth  as  they  have  been  able  to  accumulate  in  our 
entire  history.  Forty-nine  per  cent  of  the  total  crop 
wealth  was  produced  by  non-food  crops.  The  need 
is  for  more  livestock  industries,  such  as  cheese  fac- 
tories, creameries,  etc. 

43r(l     in  crop  yielding  power  per  acre.  1910 $15.86 

State  average   in    1910,  $24.84;    in    1914,  $20.18.      Scot- 
land led  with  $42.02;  Alleghany  lowest,  $4.83. 
87th     in  annual  production  of  farm  wealth  per  person,  1910. .        $59.50 
Scotland  county  ranked  first  with  $181.10.  Dare  last  with 
$9.60    per    capita.      State    average,    $85;    average    of 
French   farmers,  $126. 

96th     in  food  and   feed  produftion  per  person,  1910 $17.00 

Needed,  $84  per  person  ;  deficit,  $67  per  person.  Alle- 
ghany led  with  $106;  Dare  lowest  with  $9. 

57th     in  food  and  feed  crops,  per  cent  of  total  crop  values..  51 

Alleghany  first  with  89  per  cent;  state  average,  47 
per  cent.  Alleghany  is  the  richest  county  in  per 
capita  country  wealth,  $560.  Durham  county  ranks 
82nd  with  only  $210  per  capita  country  wealth. 


48  DuRiiA:\r  Cou^•TY:  Ecoxo:mic  axd  Social 

STATUS  OF  OUR  RURAL  SCHOOLS 

W.  M.   Upchurch 

It  is  the  purpose  of  this  chapter  to  show  the  rank  of  our  rural  schools 
when  compared  with  those  of  other  counties.  The  discussion  which 
follows  is  based  on  the  tables  at  the  end  of  the  chapter. 

Ability  to  Support  Schools 

In  the  first  place  we  notice  that  our  county  ranks  4th  in  total  taxa- 
ble wealth.  Our  wealth  is,  of  course,  the  basis  of  our  ability  to  sup- 
port schools.  In  1910,  on  the  basis  of  census  values,  our  per  capita 
country  wealth  was  only  $210.  The  bulk  of  the  wealth  of  the  county 
is  in  city  properties.  When  the  aggregate  of  all  properties  on  the  tax 
list  is  divided  by  the  population,  our  per  capita  taxable  wealth  in  1910 
was  $758;  whites  alone  $865,  negroes  $60.  In  per  capita  taxable  wealth 
Durham  is  the  richest  county  in  the  state.  In  total  school  fund  for 
rural  schools  in  1915-'16,  our  rank  was  5th.  In  per  capita  investment 
in  public  school  properties,  Durham  ranks  2nd  with  $10.91 ;  but  our 
investment  in  automobiles  in  1916  was  $14.64  per  inhabitant. 

Our  Willingness  to  Support  Schools 

The  per  cent  of  our  wealth  which  we  consecrate  to  the  cause  of 
public  education  is  perhaps  the  best  index  to  our  willingness  to  sup- 
port schools.  We  see,  in  the  first  place,  that  our  county  ranks  third 
in  the  total  amount  invested  in  rural  school  property.  That  is,  only  two 
counties  outstrip  us  in  this  particular.  .This  high  rank,  of  course,  is 
due  in  part  at  least,  to  the  great  wealth  of  the  city.  In  total  amount 
spent  on  rural  buildings  and  supplies,  Wake  alone  stands  ahead  of  us. 

If  we  combine  the  city  and  country  schools  in  per  capita  investment 
in  white  school  property,  we  head  the  list  of  the  counties  of  the  State 
with  $13.97.  This  is  a  fine  record  about  which  we  may  rejoice.  But 
let  us  remember  that  this  represents  the  school  savings,  together  with 
the  bonds  from  the  beginning  of  our  community,  and  that  at  the  pres- 
ent time  we  have  invested  in  automobiles  $14.64  per  inhabitant,  which 
is  more  than  our  investment  in  public  school  property.  Within  the 
last  fifteen  years  we  have  invested  more  wealth  in  these  machines  than 
has  been  put  into  school  property  since  the  first  settlers  came  to  this 
community. 

Sixty-one  counties  had  higher  school  tax  rates  than  Durliam  in 
1914.  At  that  time  our  public  school  fund  amounted  to  only  $4.80  on 
the  $1,000  of  taxable  property,  while  little  Pamlico,  with  only  a  third 
of  our  per  capita  wealth,  consecrated  to  this  purpose  $8.98  per  $1,000. 
This  means,  of  course,  that  their  burden  is  more  than  six  times  as 
great  as  ours. 


DllMIA.M    Col   NIV:     KroNo.MIC    AM>    SoCIAI.  H> 

In  the  ainouiit  of  money  which  we  spend  per  capita  for  our  high 
school  pupils,  our  rank  is  low;  69  counties  do  better  for  tlieir  boys 
and  girls.  In  1913-1914  we  spent  only  $22.09  per  pupil  while  Jackson 
county,  less  able  than  Durliam,  spent  $52.63.  In  this  particular  we 
were  below  the  State  average,  which  was  $26.47  per  high  school  pupil. 
Let  us  remember,  too,  that  this  average  includes  all  our  backward 
shore  and  mountain  counties. 

If  we  consider  school  expenditures  per  $1,000  wortli  of  property  in 
1913,  we  rank  53rd.  I-'ifty-two  counties  did  better,  while  only  three 
counties  were  really  able  to  do  better  as  shown  by  their  taxable  wealth. 
McDowell  county  spent  $20.85  per  $1,000  worth  of  property  while 
Durham  county  spent  only  $7.51. 

In  certain  districts  our  people  have  come  to  realize  both  the  condi- 
tion and  need.  Be  it  said  to  their  credit  that  they  have  willingly  voted 
extra  taxes  to  provide  educational  advantages  for  their  children.  Of 
our  30  white  school  districts,  11  have  taken  this  forward  step.  In  this 
respect   we   rank  31st. 

How    We    Appreciate    Our   Teachers 

I  tliink  we  may  safely  say  that  when  one  works  for  those  who  are 
able  to  pay,  his  salary  shows  how  he  is  appreciated.  In  the  matter  of 
teachers'  salaries  Durham  exactly  holds  its  own.  According  to  the 
report  of  the  State  Tax  Commission  there  are  only  three  counties 
ahead  of  Durham  in  total  wealth,  and  none  in  per  capita  taxable 
wealth;  and  according  to  Dr.  Joyner's  report  there  were  just  three 
counties  that  paid  their  rural  white  teachers  better  salaries  than  we 
did  in  1913-14.  Our  average  annual  salary  for  rural  white  teachers 
in  1913-1914  was  $338.  Of  our  83  rural  teachers  38  had  college  dip- 
lomas and  38  normal  training.  These  teachers  have  spent  four  or 
five  years  in  hard  study,  night  and  day.  and  from  $1,200  to  $1,800,  eith- 
er borrowed  or  hard-earned  coin,  preparing  for  their  work.  And 
added  to  all  this  the  State  has  now  wisely  decreed  that  the  teachers 
must  further  prepare  themselves  for  their  profession  by  attending 
summer  schools  on  borrowed  money.  We  pay  teachers  only  for  the 
months  they  teach,  forgetting  they  have  to  live  and  attend  summer 
schools  during  the  vacation.  If  we  divide  their  salaries  into  twelve 
monthly  installments,  we  can  see  what  a  pittance  it  is.  It  is  very 
little  over  $1.00  per  day  for  the  week  days.  For  the.  State  at  large 
it  was  less  than  $1.00  per  day,  being  only  $235.27  per  year  in  1913-'14. 

We  can  get  a  better  conception  of  this  poor  pay  by  comparing  it 
with  the  average  annual  incomes  of  people  in  other  walks  of  life.  Be- 
low is  given  such  a  comparison  taken  from  the  University  News  Let- 
ter of  July  4th.  1917: 

The  Pay  They  Get 

The  following  table  of  average  annual  salaries  has  been  construct- 


50  Durham  County  :  Economic  and  Sociat. 

ed  from  figures  given  by  Dr.  Victor  I.  Masters  in  his  recent  book, 
The  Country  Church  in  the  South ;  by  Mr.  M.  L.  Shipman  in  the  1915 
report  of  the  State  Labor  Commissioner;  and  by  Dr.  J.  Y.  Joyner  in 
the  1913-14  report  of  the  State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 
The  average  annual  salaries  are  for  white  preachers  in  the  South 
outside  of  cities  having  25,000  inhabitants  in  1906;  for  white  common 
school  teachers  in  North  Carolina,  in  1913-'14;  and  for  wage  earners 
of  both  races  in  the  State  in '1915,  supposing  that  they  were  steadily  at 
work  throughout  the  year. 

Public  school  teachers,   white,  rural $   235 

Public    school    teachers,    white,    city 454 

Baptist    preachers,    white 473 

Methodist    preachers,    white 681 

Presbyterian  preachers,    white 858 

Automobile   mechanics    469 

Wood-workers     479 

Blacksmiths  588 

Cabinet   makers    601 

Carpenters    676 

Engineers 789 

Painters    834 

Moulders    861 

Electricians     939 

Machinists     961 

Boiler   makers    1,074 

Stone  cutters    1,095 

Plasterers 1,293 

Brick  masons   1,317 

Contractors     1,330 

Plumbers    1,408 

Think  of  blacksmiths  getting  $588  per  year,  stone  cutters  $1,095, 
brick  masons  $1,317,  plumbers  $1,408,  while  the  average  annual  salary 
of  North  Carolina  rural  white  teachers  is  only  $235,  Durham  county 
rural  white  teachers  $338,  and  Durham  city  teachers  only  $662.11  in 
1913-'14,  the  year  the  world  war  began.  The  purchasing  power  of 
these  small  salaries  this  year  is  barely  half  of  what  it  was  at  that 
time  because  the  cost  of  living  has  more  than  doubled  since  the  war 
began. 

And  for  these  small  salaries  what  does  the  public  expect  of  teach- 
ers? They  must  teach  other  people  how  to  earn  two,  three,  or  five 
times  as  much  as  they  can  earn  themselves.  But  this  is  not  all.  While 
they  are  teaching,  the  young  ladies  must  not  dance,  play  bridge  whist, 
or  entertain  company  during  the  week  lest  they  neglect  their  school 
work,  and  Sunday  must  find  them  teaching  their  Sunday  scliool  classes. 


DiKiiAM  County:  Economic  and  Social  51 

With  the  men  it  is  even  worse.  They  must  be  all  that  is  expected 
of  the  lady  and  more.  They  may  not  chew,  smoke,  or  "cuss"  as  other 
men  do.  In  heated  campaigns  tliey  must  not  take  part,  but  merely 
look  on  and  smile,  lest  they  create  opposition  and  be  dismissed.  They 
must  be  walking  encyclopedias  to  answer  catch  questions  for  the  com- 
munity. Tliey  must  be  organizers,  leaders  of  debating  teams  and  pro- 
fessionals in  athletics.  Tiicy  must  be  superintendents  of  the  Sunday 
schools,  teacli  Bible  classes,  lead  prayer  meetings  and  preacli  for  noth- 
ing while  the  poorly  paid  pastors  arc  away  trying  to  earn  a  little  extra 
money  to  live  on.  In  short,  teachers  must  be  leaders  in  the  mental, 
moral  and  physical  affairs  of  a  community,  and  they  must  do  it  for  a 
much  smaller  annual  income  than  the  average  day  laborer  receives. 

How  We  Use  Our  Schools 

The  ideal  condition  would  be,  of  course,  to  find  every  child  in  the 
county  of  school  age  present  every  day  during  the  entire  term.  If 
tliis  were  true  and  all  teachers  and  pupils  would  do  their  best,  then 
the  schools  would  be  100  per  cent  efficient.  This  would  l)o  an  idea! 
condition  whicii  can  not  be  attained;  but  let  us  sec  liow  nearly  we  ap- 
proach it  as  compared  witii  otlier  counties. 

According  to  the  1910  census  report,  rural  and  city  children  con- 
sidered, we  ranked  70th  in  the  per  cent  of  white  children  in  school 
between  6  and  14  years  of  age;  that  is.  69  counties  made  a  better 
showing.  Only  ll  per  cent  of  the  total  school  population  appeared  on 
the  school  roll,  to  say  nothing  of  irregular  attendance;  while  27  per 
cent,  or  1.177  white  boys  and  girls,  remained  out  of  scliool  the  entire 
year.  With  the  negro  children  the  condition  was  even  worse.  The 
rank  was  the  same,  but  only  60.8  per  cent  were  enrolled  in  the  schools 
while  392  per  cent,  or  1,619  children,  did  not  enter  school  at  all. 

But  let  us  see  how  well  those  who  did  enter  attended.  According  to 
University  files  based  on  Dr.  Joyner's  report  we  ranked  62nd  in  at- 
tendance in  1913-'14.  Macon  county  led  with  90  per  cent  of  those  en- 
rolled regularly  in  their  places.  Durham  county,  on  the  same  basis, 
rural  and  urban,  white  and  colored  considered,  had  only  64.9  per  cent 
in  daily  attendance.  But  if  we  take  only  the  rural  schools,  white  and 
colored,  only  54.9  per  cent  were  in  average  daily  attendance.  I^et  us 
remember,  too,  that  this  does  not  take  into  account  any  children  over 
14  years  of  age.  If  these  were  included  our  records  would  drop  much 
lower. 

Now  a  little  calculation  will  show  us  where  we  stand  as  compared 
with  the  ideal  condition  suggested  above.  Of  all  white  and  colored 
rural  children  from  6  to  14  years  of  age,  only  65.4  per  cent  were  en- 
rolled in  the  schools  in  1910.  If  only  54.9  of  these  were  regularly  at 
school,  then  we  were  only  35.9  per  cent  efficient  and  64.1  per  cent  he- 


52  Durham  Couxty:  Economic  and  Social 

low  the  level  of  ideal  efficiency.  Which  means  that  practically  two- 
thirds  of  our  children  were  out  of  school  in  1910. 

This  is  given  in  no  spirit  of  criticism,  for  our  leader,  Superintend- 
ent C.  W.  Massey,  has  devoted  his  untiring  energies  to  the  upbuilding 
of  our  schools.  The  fault,  if  we  may  speak  of  it  as  such,  is  with  our 
people.  We  have  not  yet  come  to  realize  what  it  means  to  allow  our 
boys  and  girls  to  remain  away  from  the  school  room.  Out  of  every 
100  children  from  6  to  14  years  of  age  only  65.4  found  time  to  enter 
school  in  1910.  Of  the  174  days  these  children  were  present  112.9  days 
and  absent  61.1. 

But  there  is  usually  a  brighter  side.  The  record  of  attendance 
in  our  rural  high  sch'ools  was  better.  In  this  item  we  ranked  40th 
having  11^  per  cent  of  these  students  in  average  attendance.  These 
ratios  are  quite  of  a  sort  with  those  of  the  entire  rural  south,  and  they 
serve  to  explain  the  appalling  illiteracy  among  our  native  born  whites 
in  the  country  regions. 

What   Absences   Mean 

In  this  brief  treatment  it  is  impossible  to  discuss  this  topic  fully. 
We  can  merely  suggest  and  leave  the  reader  to  think  it  over. 

1.  The  child  that  is  allowed  to  be  absent  from  school  when  he 
could  possibly  be  there  is  establishing  a  bad  habit  which  will  not  be 
tolerated  by  any  progressive  business  concern. 

2.  The  constant  absentee  nearly  always  gets  out  of  gear  with  the 
school,  falls  behind  his  class,  loses  interest,  and  then  drops  out  to  re- 
peat the  same  thing  next  year. 

3.  Absentees  retard  the  progress  of  the  class.  When  they  return 
they  are  not  able  to  proceed  with  the  others  until  the  teacher  helps 
them  catch  up.  While  she  is  doing  this  the  other  members  of  the  class 
are  making  little  or  no  gain.  This  means  that  those  who  come  regu- 
larly lose  because  of  another's  absence.  For  this  reason  everj^  parent 
interested  in  his  child's  welfare  should  do  what  he  can  to  encourage 
regular  attendance  on  the  part  of  his  neighbor's  children. 

4.  Absentees  increase  the  tax  payers'  burden.  If  it  cost  fifteen 
($15)  dollars  a  year  to  carry  the  average  child  through  the  third 
grade,  and  some  child  ,because  of  absence,  spends  two  or  three  years 
in  this  grade,  he  is  costing  the  county  $30  or  $45.  This  is  not  just. 
Our  neighbors  and  tax  payers  have  a  right  therefore  to  expect  us  to 
see  to  it  that  our  children  are  in  school  regularly. 

5.  Absences  become  a  tremendous  financial  loss  to  the  child  that  is 
absent.  Dr.  A.  Caswell  Ellis,  a  noted  and  conscientious  educator,  after 
careful  investigations  and  computations  concerning  the  life  incomes  of 
educated  and  uneducated  people,  concluded  that  it  actually  costs  a  boy 
$10  for  every  day  that  he  plays  "hookie,"  truant  or  "snaps  school"  to 


l)i  KiiA.M  Cointy:  Economic  and  Social  53 

go   wading.     No  matter   what   tlie  cause  of  the  absence  may  be,  the 
loss  to  the  child  is  the  same. 

Parents  should  think  about  this  matter  of  regular  attendance  at 
school  more  seriously,  talk  it  over  with  the  neighbors,  and  then  make 
up  their  minds  to  see  <o  it  that  the  boys  and  girls  are  in  school  every 
day  possible. 

FACTS  ABOUT  THE  SCHOOLS 

The  rank  at  the  left  margin  indicates  the  number  of  counties  which 
make  a  better  showing  than  Durham. 

4th     in  total  ta.xable  wcaltli,  1914,  report  of  tax  commission  $28,192,968 
Mecklenburg  leads  with  $32,635,188. 

3rd     in  investment  in  rural  scliool  property $132,800 

Wake  leads  with  an  investment  of  $266,569. 

Durham  ranks  82nd  in  per  capita  country  wealth  with 

$210,  but  third  in  investment  in  rural  school  property. 

Thanks  to  the  city. 

62nd     in  local  school  tax   rate,   county  and   special,  on   the 

$1,000  $4.80 

Pamlico  leads  with  $8.98.  Hertford  comes  last  with 
$3.45. 

2nd    in  amount  spent  on  rural  buildings  and  supplies,  1914..  $31,082.51 
Wake  leads  with  $95,074.92. 

5th    in  total  revenues  for  schools $85,771.89 

State  appropriation,  $5,754.54;  equalizing  fund  0;  state 
high  school  fund  $6,000.00;  bonds,  $3,000;  libraries 
and  tuitions  $60.00 ;  local  taxes  $6.725.72 ;  county  fund 
$48,976.82;  rural  balance  $15,254.81. 

16th     in     salaries     paid     rural     colored     teaciiers     1913-'14 

average    $150 

State  average  for  above  $128. 

4th  in  salaries  paid  rural  white  teachers  1913-'14,  aver- 
age      %iSS 

State  average  $235.27.     Edgecombe  leads  with  $358. 

Of  the  83  white  public  school  teachers  in  Durliam 
county  38  had  Normal  training  and  38  College 
diplomas. 

70th     in  per  cent  of  total  white  children  6  to  14  years  of  age 

enrolled,  1910  census 75 

White  children  6  to  14  years  old  not  in  school  27  per 
cent,  or  1,777.    State  average  per  cent  enrolled,  70.5. 


54  Durham  County  :  Economic  and  Social 

70th    in  per  cent  of  total  negro  children  6  to  14  years  of  age 

enrolled  in  1910 60.8 

Negro  children  6  to  14  years  not  in  school,  1,619.      * 
State  average  per  cent  enrolled  6Z. 

62nd     in  school  attendance  on  enrollment,  rural  and  urban, 

in  1913-'14,  white  and  colored,  per  cent 64.9 

Macon  county  leads  with  90  per  cent,  and  Edgecombe 
is  lowest  with  52.2  per  cent.     State  average  68.2  per 
cent. 
40th     in  high  school  attendance  on  enrollment,  1913-'14,  per 

cent    77  J 

Burke  county  leads  with  93.2  per  cent.    Wayne  lowest 
with  54.3  per  cent. 
8th     in    rural    white    schools    with    two    or    more    teachers 

1913-'14,   per   cent 61.2 

Out  of  31  schools  19  have  two  or  more  teachers. 

1st    in  investment  in  white  school  property,  per  capita,  1914         $13.97 
Per    capita    investment    in    automobiles    in    1916    was 

$14.64. 
State  average  of  per  capita  investment  by  white  pop- 
ulation in  white  school  property  $5.10. 
2nd     in  investment  in  school  properties,  white  and  colored, 

per  capita   $10.91 

70th     in  average  expenditure  per  high  school  pupil  enrolled 

1913-'14 $22.09 

It   was   $4.59   less    than    the    previous   year.     Jackson 
leads    with    $52.63    per    high    school    pupil  enrolled. 
Franklin  lowest  with  $11.52.     State  average  $26.47. 

53rd     in  school  expenditures  per  $1,000  worth  of  property, 

1913-'14    $7.51 

McDowell  ranks  first  with  $20.85.    State  average  $8.03. 

31st    in  local  tax  districts  per  cent  of  total 36.6 

Of  the  30  districts  11  have  voted  special  tax. 


DrijiiAM  Cointy:  Eionomic  anu  Siuiai.  55 

SEVEN-YEAR  GAINS  IN  RURAL  SCHOOLS 

\V.  M.  Upchurch 

As  usual  the  figures  which  serve  as  a  basis  for  tlic  discussion  can 
be  found  at  the  end  of  the  chapter. 

In  the  preceding  chapter  we  were  comparing  Durliam  county  with 
all  the  other  counties  of  tlic  state  and  discussing  our  rank  in  country 
school  work.  Here  we  are  comparing  Durham  county  with  herself  and 
showing  our  gains  and  losses  in  country  school  education  during  the 
last  seven  years  (1908-'09  to  1915-'16).  For  two  reasons  the  gains 
shown  here  should  be  considerably  above  those  of  the  city  schools  dis- 
cussed in  the  following  cliapter.  First,  the  city  schools  were  nearer 
their  limit  of  improvement  at  the  beginning  of  the  period  considered; 
and  second,  the  column  of  gains  in  the  city  schools  study  covers  a  per- 
iod of  only  five  years  whereas  this  study  extends  over  a  period  of 
seven  years. 

Increased  Need 
In  the  seven  years  covered  by  this  study  our  rural  school  popula- 
tion, white  and  colored,  increased  from  5,847  to  7,641.  a  gain  of  30.6 
per  cent.  This  tnade  it  necessary  to  increase  the  buildings  from  44  to 
52,  or  18.1  per  cent.  Besides  this,  other  buildings  had  to  be  repaired. 
Also  the  number  of  teachers  liad  to  be  increased  from  79  to  116,  or  a 
gain  of  46.8  per  cent. 

Increase  in  School  Fund 

We  notice  a  gain  of  63.4  per  cent  in  the  scliool  fund  during  tlliis 
period.  Evidently  there  is  a  close  relation  between  tliis  increase  in 
funds  and  the  increase  in  expenditures.  On  the  whole,  the  two  must 
balance,  or  approximately  so.  This  does  not  mean  that  each  item  of 
expense  must  increase  in  exactly  the  same  proportion.  For  illustra- 
tion, the  item  for  building  may  stop  whenever  the  school  houses  are 
sufficient  for  the  time  being.  This  part  of  the  fund  may  then  be 
transferred  to  other  items  of  the  budget.  This  explains  the  decrease  in 
amount  spent  for  new  buildings  in  1915-1916  as  compared  with  1908.-'09. 

Increase  in  Expenditures 

The  cost  of  administration  rose  from  $1,271.75  to  $3,411.61.  This 
was  an  increase  of  168.2  per  cent.  For  teaching  and  supervision  we 
went  forward  from  $22,222.09  to  $47,976.08,  or  an  increase  of  115.8  per 
cent.    This  is  a  noteworthy  gain. 

The  Treasurer's  Commission 

In  1908-1909  the  treasurer's  commission  for  the  public  schools  of 
Durham   County   and   City   amounted    to  $1,054.44.     In    1915-1916   this 


56  DuEiiAM  Cou>:ty:  Eco>,o:mic  axd  Social 

commission  had  grown  to  $2,529.66,  an  increase  of  139.9  per  cent  in 
seven  years.  This  amount  was  more  than  the  salary  paid  the  superin- 
tendent for  looking  after  the  entire  county  school  system  and  nearly  as 
much  as  the  combined  salaries  of  six  average  rural  teachers  including 
principals.  A  number  of  our  counties  have  eliminated  this  item  of  ex- 
pense by  allowing  some  bank  or  banker  to  handle  the  account  free  of 
charge.  These  figurers  are  taken  from  the  report  of  the  State  Superin- 
tendent of  Public  Instruction. 

In  Durham  county  the  treasurer  is  now  on  a  salary  basis,  therefore 
does  not  receive  a  commission  for  handling  the  school  fund.  All  coun- 
ty fees  and  commissions  go  into  the  Officers'  Salary  Fund.  After  the 
county  officers  have  all  been  paid,  the  remainder  of  this  fund  is  divided 
equally  between  the  school  and  road  funds,  each  of  which  received  last 
year  $2,730. 

But  with  the  city  fund  the  case  is  a  little  diflferent.  The  city  treas- 
urer is  paid  a  salary  of  $300  per  year  for  handling  the  school  fund. 
Some  cities  have  no  such  item  of  expense.  They  allow  the  banks  to 
handle  the  fund  free. 

Better  Equipment 

In  the  past  seven  years  we  have  built  24  new  buildings  and  fur- 
nished them  with  patent  desks.  In  1916  we  had  only  three  schools  not 
furnished  with  modern  desks.  Modern  equipment  for  domestic  science 
has  been  added  at  East  and  West  Durham ;  and  this  and  farm  life 
equipment  have  been  provided  at  Lowe's  Grove  and  Bahama. 

Better  Prepared  Teachers 

Xot  only  has  the  number  of  our  teachers  increased,  but  their  quality 
has  improved  as  well.  Proper  training  and  experience  are  the  things 
which  count  most  in  the  teaching  profession.  White  and  colored  teach- 
ers combined,  there  was  a  gain  of  31.1  per  cent  in  the  number  having 
four  years  experience ;  67.5  per  cent  in  the  number  having  normal  train- 
ing; and  100  per  cent  in  the  number  having  college  diplomas.  Taken 
separatel)',  the  white  teachers  gained  in  efficiency  79.7  per  cent,  while 
the  colored  teachers  gained  30  per  cent.  Increases  in  salary  ought  to 
keep  pace  with  increasing  professional  preparation. 

Increased  Salaries 

In  the  seven  year  period  our  county  board  of  education  was  able  to 
increase  the  salary  of  our  superintendent  59.6  per  cent.  The  average 
increase  for  the  white  teachers  was  47.2  per  cent,  and  for  the  col- 
ored teachers,  30  per  cent.  The  increase  in  the  salaries  of  white  teach- 
ers is  far  short  of  their  increase  in  quality  and  efficiency. 

Teachers'  Salaries  Fall  Behind 

Within  the  same  period  salaries  and  wages  in  general  have  increased 
from  100  to  200  per  cent,  farm  products  and  household  necessities  from 


DiKiiAM  ("ointy:  Economic  and  Sociai.  57 

100  to  300  per  cent.  Had  prices  in  general  remained  the  same,  our  white 
teachers  deserved  a  much  greater  increase  than  tlicy  received  l)ccausc 
of  better  preparation.  They  liavc  been  given  notliing  liccause  of  in- 
creased cost  of  livinvc  a-;  havo  wage  oarnt-rs.  yet  tin-  stale  is  demanding 
more  of   them. 

Increased   Appreciation   of   Schools 

W'e  show  our  attitude  toward  tlie  schools  by  the  way  we  support 
them  financially  and  allow  the  cliildren  to  attend.  Let  us  take  the 
last  first. 

During  tlie  seven  years  our  enrollment  in  tlie  schools  increased  from 
3.790  to  5.107.  or  34.7  per  cent;  our  average  daily  attendance  rose  from 
2.084  to  3,124,  or  49.9  per  cent.  Not  only  this,  2  per  cent  more  of  our 
total  school  population  were  enrolled  in  1915-1916  than  in  1908-1909,  and 
5.2  per  cent  more  were  in  average  daily  attendance.  These  last  two, 
although  seemingly  small,  are  the  ones  tliat  really  show  our  growing 
interest  in  education.     These  are  the  ones  we  need  to  keep  improving. 

In  September.  1908,  only  6  districts  were  being  aided  by  special  tax. 
In  1916  there  were  18  such  districts,  an  increase  of  200  per  cent.  Our 
people  seemed  to  be  aroused  and  determined  to  place  Durham  county  in 
the  front  rank  in  an  educational  way.  For  a  fuller  account  of  the 
growth  in  school  spirit,  we  refer  the  reader  to  Superintendent  Massey's 
annual  report  of  the  public  schools  of  Durham  county  for  1915-1916. 
It  is  an  inspiration  and  everybody  in  the  county  should  read  it. 

A  Growing  Tendency 

The  old  one-teacher  school  is  doomed  in  Durham  county.  Tlie 
people  are  coming  to  realize  that  a  single  teacher  can  not  do  the  work 
justice  and  are  beginning  to  consolidate  schools,  to  build  larger  school 
houses,  and  to  employ  not  only  a  larger  number,  but  also  better  pre- 
pared teachers.  This  concentration  of  groups  makes  possible  much 
better  grading  of  children  into  classes  of  more  nearh*  equal  ability. 
Not  only  this;  in  the  high  schools  tlie  classes  are  made  large  ennugh  to 
justify  the  time  of  a  competent  teacher.  The  25  per  cent  reduction  in 
the  number  of  schools  with  high  school  subjects  is  a  good  sign  of 
progress  and  better  work. 

Further  consolidation  may  make  necessary  the  transportation  of 
children  to  and  from  school,  but  with  good  roads  this  burden  is  reduced 
to  a  minimum,  and  the  benefits  derived  will  far  overbalance  the  cost. 

A  Change  of  Emphasis 

The  old  ideal  in  rural  education  was  to  train  the  boys  and  girls  to 
take  their  places  along  with  city  dwellers.  We  have  come  to  see  the 
error  of  our  way  and  are  trying  to  make  amends.  We  are  now  striv- 
ing to  teach  the  country  boy  the  science  and  skill  of  bread-producing, 
and  the  country  girl  the  science  and  art  of  bread-making  and  home- 


58  DuKiiAM  Coukty:  Ecoxomic  akd  Social 

making.  Our  agricultural  high  schools  are  a  credit  to  any  community 
and  should  be  multiplied  until  every  country  lad  and  lass  feels  their 
influence. 

Private  Donations  to  Public  Schools 

Durham  county  has  no  mention  in  Dr.  Joyner's  report  of  private  do- 
nations to  the  rural  schools  in  either  1908-1909  or  1915-1916  as  have 
many  other  counties.  We  are  glad  to  note,  however,  in  Superintendent 
Massey's  report  that  there  have  been  donations  by  Gen.  Julian  S.  Carr 
for  rural  libraries,  and  $1,000  each  by  Messrs.  W.  W.  Fuller  and  R.  K. 
Smith,  of  New  York,  to  Lowe's  Grove  Farm  Life  School,  and  a  num- 
ber of  smaller  gifts.  We  can  see  the  significance  of  such  gifts  when  we 
remember  that  these  reach  the  masses  of  the  people,  while  a  similar  gift 
to  a  higher  institution  reaches  less  than  5  per  cent  of  the  school  popula- 
tion. Let  us  hope  that  some  of  Durham  county's  successful  sons  and 
daughters  may  remember  in  their  wills  the  public  school  systems  along 
with  the  higher  institutions  of  learning. 

Seven-Year  Gains  in  Rural  Schools 

1908-1909        1915-1916       per  cent 

Total  school  population 5,847                   7,641               30.6 

Rural  white  schools,  number...  28           '             32                14.2 

Rural  white  teachers,  number..  61                         94                54 

Rural    colored    schools,    number  16                         20               25 

Rural  colored  teachers 18                         22                22.2 

Total  school  fund   $49,099.53           $83,156.71               63.4 

Spent  for  administration $1,271.75             $3,411.61              168.2 

Spent    for    teaching    and    super- 
vision      $22,222.09           $47,976.08             115.8 

New  school  houses  built 3                           2              *33.3 

Cost  of  above $9,500.00             $4,250.00            *123.5 

In    7    years    24   buildings    have 

been  erected  at  a  total  cost  of  $77,860.00 
Treasurers'  commissions  on  ru- 
ral and  city  school  funds....  $1,054.44             $2,520.66             139.9 
White    teachers    having    normal 

training 24                        47               95.8 

White     teachers     having     four 

years  experience    31                         43                38.7 

White    teachers    having    college 

diplomas     21                         43              104.7 

Colored  teachers  having  normal 

training     13                         15                15.3 

Colored  teachers  having  4  years 

experience     14                         16                14.2 


DiicMA.M  Coimy:   Ero.No.MK'  AM)  Social 


51) 


Colored  teachers  liaving  college 
diplomas    3 

Average  annual  salary  of  white 
teachers    .' $302.62 

Average  annual  salary  of  col- 
ored teachers   $125.73 

Total    cliildren    enrolled 3,790 

Average    daily    attendance 2,084 

Per  cent  of  total  school  popu- 
lation  enrolled    64.8 

Per  cent  of  total  school  popu- 
lation in  average  daily  attend- 
ance      35.6 

Special  tax  districts 6 

Number  white  school  districts..  26 

Xumber  white  school  districts 
consolidated     1 

Xumber  colored  school   districts  16 

Average  term  in  days,   white...  161 

Average  term  in  days,  white  lo- 
cal  tax  districts 174 

Average  term  in  days,  colored..  145 

Average   term    in    days,   colored, 

local  tax  districts   163 

Schools  having  two  or  more 
teachers,  white    . '. 15 

Per  cent  having  two  or  more 
teachers,  white   53.5 

Schools  having  two  or  more 
teachers,   colored    2 

Per  cent  having  two  or  more 
teachers,  colored   12.5 

Schools  with  high  school  subjects  24 

White  school  buildings 26 

Xumber  having  patent  desks...  26 

Colored    school    buildings 16 

Xumber  having  patent  desks 6 

Value   of   school   property $46,000 

An  asterisk  (♦)   indicates  a  decrease. 


$445.60 

$163.48 
5,107 
3,124 

66.8 


66.6 

47.2 

30. 

34.7 

49.9 


40.8 

5.2 

18 

200. 

29 

10.3 

3 

200. 

19 

8.7 

155 

*3.7 

169 

♦2.8 

133 

*8.2 

152 

♦6.7 

19 

26.6 

59.3 

5.8 

1 

♦50. 

5. 

*7.5 

18 

*25. 

32 

23. 

2,2 

23. 

20 

25. 

17 

183.3 

$144,555 

214.2 

60  Durham  County:  Economic  axd  Social 

THE  SCHOOLS  OF  DURHAM  AND 
WINSTON-SALEM 

W.  M.  Upchurch. 

Uniform  System  of  Accounts 

In  comparing  the  school  systems  of  Durham  and  Winston-Salem  I 
have  been  fully  convinced  of  one  fact  in  particular.  It  is  difficult  to 
get  a  comparison  of  certain  items  because  of  the  different  methods 
of  bookkeeping..  For  illustration,  take  the  expenses  for  administra- 
tion. The  year  Durham  spent  $1,925.73  for  this  item,  Winston-Salem 
reported  only  $100.  This  does  not  mean  that  the  latter  was  able  to 
administer  its  schools  for  less  than  Durham,  but  simply  that  it  charged 
only  two  items  under  this  head,  treasurer  $25  and  census  $75. 

There  are  other  similar  differences,  all  of  which  lead  to  the  inevita- 
ble conclusion  that  for  the  public  good  there  should  be  introduced,  by 
some  means,  a  uniform  system  of  keeping  accounts.  However,  it  is 
not  the  purpose  of  this  paper  to  criticise  but  to  make  a  comparison  of 
the  systems  and  to  draw  conclusions. 

The  School  Fund  and  School  Efficiency 

It  is  evident  that  Winston-Salem  made  unusual  progress  during  the 
five  years  under  review,  but  it  is  equally  evident  that  it  was  a  long 
way  behind  and  simply  awoke  to  this  fact.  With  a  little  larger  school 
population  than  Durham  in  1908,  it  had  less  than  one-half  as  much 
money  with  which  to  run  its  schools.  The  teachers  were  paid  only 
about  62  per  cent  as  much  as  the  Durham  teachers,  and  only  51  per  cent 
of  its  school  population  were  enrolled  against  68  per  cent  in  Durham. 
This  may  mean  there  was  some  difference  in  the  quality  of  the  teach- 
ers at  that  time,  and  it  certainly  means  that  there  was  a  lack  of  will- 
ingness to  support  and  to  attend  the  Winston-Salem  schools  as  com- 
pared with  Durham.  Again,  only  69  per  cent  of  the  children  enrolled 
in  Winston-Salem  were  in  average  daily  attendance,  as  compared  with 
72  per  cent  in  Durham. 

Reasons  for  Attendance 

Here  again  we  may  find  a  reason  which  lies  deeper  than  the  sur- 
face. The  fewer  the  children  in  a  room,  down  to  a  certain  point,  the 
greater  the  individual  help  that  can  be  had  from  the  teacher.  The  more 
personal  attention  a  child  can  get  every  day  the  more  likely  he  is  to 
be  at  school.  In  this  respect  Durham  again  had  the  advantage.  It 
had  54  white  teachers  while  Winston-Salem  had  only  39  for  a  some- 
what smaller  enrollment.  Facts  of  this  kind  should  cause  school  offi- 
cials to  stop  and  think  before  they  crowd  too  many  children  into  a 


l)l  IMIAM     ('(il.NlV:     Kco.NO.Mir    AM)    SoCIAL  01 

room,  in  order  to  try  to  reduce  the  per  capita  cost  of  education.  The 
result  of  such  a  policy  is  to  lessen  the  value  of  the  schools  to  the  chil- 
dren even  when  they  continue  to  attend.  A  poor  policy  of  tliis  sort 
shows  in  tlic  lower  per  cent  of  attendance,  and  this  in  turn  in  the 
larger  per  cent  of  repeaters  in  the  j{ra<lf>. 

Repeaters  in  the  (irades 

What  is  the  effect  of  repeaters?  It  means  first  of  all  that  they 
cost  the  town  or  county  twice  as  much  for  the  grades  repeated  as  does 
the  average  child.  This,  however,  is  not  the  greatest  objection.  In 
many  cases  the  repeater  is  too  old  in  his  instincts,  or  likes  and  dis- 
likes, for  the  work  of  the  grade  he  is  in  the  second  year,  looks  upon 
it  as  a  joke,  becomes  the  mischief-leader  of  the  room  and  breeds  a 
careless  spirit.  Other  children  decide  that  it  is  not  so  bad  to  fail  of 
promotion,  and  so  it  goes  from  bad  to  worse. 

All  this  considered,  I  believe  in  tlie  Durham  schools  our  lowest 
salaried  teachers  are  really  our  most  expensive  in  tlie  long  run. 

But  what  is  there  in  tlie  systems  under  consideration  to  give  point 
to  such  a  study  of  the  two  in  contrast?  Let  us  look  again  at  the  teach- 
ing forces. 

The  Teaching  Forces  in   1908 

In  Durham  not  only  were  the  teachers  much  better  paid  tlian  in 
Winston-Salem,  but  49  per  cent  were  teachers  with  normal  training, 
while  in  Winston-Salem  less  than  30  per  cent  had  made  any  special 
preparation  for  their  work.  There  is  no  record  in  Dr.  Joyner's  report 
of  pupils  promoted;  if  there  were,  I  believe  from  my  experience,  that 
Durham  would  show  the  higher  per  cents.  We  have  come  to  feel  that 
well  paid  teachers,  well  prepared  teachers,  high  per  cents  of  attend- 
ance, and  high  per  cents  of  promotions  go  hand  in  hand. 

A  further  comparison  shows  that  61  per  cent  of  Durham  teachers 
had  four  years  of  experience  and  70  per  cent  had  college  diplomas 
against  56  per  cent  and  48  per  cent  respectively  for  Winston-Salem. 
So  much  for  their  relative  positions  in  1908.  Let  us  come  now  to  the 
five  year  gains. 

The   rive   Year   (Jains 

School  population.  The  total  school  population  of  Winston-Salem 
increased  88  per  cent  in  the  five  years,  perhaps  from  added  territory, 
while  that  of  Durham  gained  only  13  per  cent.  .-Ml  other  points  must 
increase  relatively  in  order  for  each  town  to  hold  it>  own,  and  what- 
ever elements  exceed  these  gains  for  each  town  mean  that  much 
progress. 

The  School  Fund    ' 

The  school  fund  for  Winston-Salem  increased  324  per  cent  during 
the  five  years,  which  shows  added  wealth  and  willingness,  while  Dur- 


62  Durham  Couxty:  Economic  axd  Sociat. 

ham's  fund  increased  only  51  per  cent.  Much  of  Winston's  gain, 
however,  had  to  be  spent  for  new  buildings  and  equipment.  This  item 
cannot  be  properly  compared  because  Durham's  improvement  in  this 
respect  has  been  large  additions  to  old  buildings  with  only  one  entirely 
new  building,  while  Winston-Salem  has  built  or  taken  in  seven. 

The   Column   of   Gains 

To  look  down  the  column  of  gains  in  per  cents  one  might  judge 
that  Winston  had  far  outstripped  Durham,  but  we  must  examine  more 
closely.  Durham  still  had  a  greater  working  income  per  pupil  in  1913 
and  a  larger  per  cent  of  its  children  enrolled  in  school.  In  1913-'14 
Winston-Salem  enrolled  52  per  cent  of  its  school  population  and  made 
a  2  per  cent  gain ;  Durham  enrolled  65  per  cent  of  its  school  popula- 
tion and  suffered  a  3  per  cent  loss.  Winston-Salem,  with  an  attendance 
of  72  per  cent,  made  a  3  per  cent  gain,  while  Durham  gained  6  per 
cent  and  had  78  per  cent  in  attendance.  This  shows,  perhaps,  more 
nearly  the  school  spirit  and  efficiency  than  any  other  item  compared. 
This  is  so  closely  related  to  the  efficiency  of  the  teachers  that  it  is  well 
to  see  how  the  teaching  forces  compared  in  1913-'14. 

Teaching  Forces  in  1913-'!  4  and  Results 

In  Winston-Salem  46  per  cent  of  the  white  teachers  had  normal 
training  in  1913-'14;  61  per  cent  had  four  years  of  experience,  and  48 
per  cent  had  college  diplomas.  In  Durham  60  per  cent  of  the  white 
teachers  had  normal  training,  80  per  cent  had  four  years  of  expe- 
rience, and  53  per  cent  had  college  diplomas.  Here  again  we  find  the 
same  close  relation  existing  between  the  efficiency  of  the  teachers  as 
shown  by  their  training  and  experience,  their  salaries,  the  per  cent  of 
the  school  population  enrolled  in  the  schools,  and  the  per  cent  of  at- 
tendance; and  the  close  relationship  of  all  these  to  the  willingness  of 
the  people  to  support  the  schools  as  shown  by  the  per  capita  school 
fund  and  school  property. 

Winston-Salem  has  made  wonderful  progress,  but  it  is  yet  behind; 
and  it  will  find  it  more  difficult  to  make  such  high  per  cents  of  in- 
crease as  it  approaches  more  nearly  its  limit  of  improvement. 

School    Fund   a   Vaiiable   Quantity 

Just  one  other  point  and  that  in  connection  with  the  school  fund. 
This  seems  to  be  a  rather  variable  quantity  both  in  Durham  and  Wins- 
ton-Salem, a  large  increase  one  year  with  perhaps  a  decrease  the  next. 
Such  a  condition  is  undesirable  unless  there  could  be  a  large  fund  kept 
on  hand.  One  year  there  was  a  considerable  decrease  shown  in  the 
average  amount  paid  teac'hers,  which  perhaps  came  from  lack  of  funds, 
or  possibly  from  the  different  methods  of  keeping  the  accounts  by  the 
new  and  the  old  superintendents.    The  decreases  in  total  funds  may  be 


IJiuuAM  Cointy:  Economic  and  Social  0:i 

explained  in  part  by  the  fact  that  hotli  these  towns  have  large  amounts 
of  tobacco  stored  away,  wliicli  differ  greatly  in  vahtc  from  year  to  year. 

Overhead  Chart's 
The  last  point  1  wish  lo  make  is  in  cunncLtion  witli  overliead 
L-harges.  Usually  the  larger  concern  can  carry  on  its  business  wiili 
smaller  ovtrhcad  charges.  In  Winston-Salem  the  schools  averaged  409 
pupils  per  building,  while  in  Durham  there  were  442.  The  policy  of 
the  Durham  scliools  has  been  to  enlarge  buildings  as  far  as  practica- 
ble while  Winston  has  built  more  but  smaller  schools.  The  savings 
from  the  policy  of  enlarging  the  schools  can  l)e  used  to  secure  more 
efficient  teachers. 

Comparison  Not  Complete 
This  is  not  intended  as  a  comprehensive  study  or  comparison  of  the 
two  systems.  The  efficiency  of  a  school  system  is  to  be  determined  by 
its  inner  workings  rather  than  by  its  outer  show.  The  best  system  is 
the  one  that  holds  tlie  largest  per  cent  of  pupils  for  the  longest  time, 
and  gives  them  the  greatest  amount  of  worth-while  training  in  the 
shortest  time,  at  the  least  per  capita  cost.  Dr.  Joyner's  report  does 
not  give  the  facts  necessary  for  such  a  comparison. 

FIVE  YEAR  GAINS  IN  DURHAM  C  ITY  SCHOOLS 

190S-'09    to    19 1.3-' 14 

DETAILS                                      1908-04  1913-11     ^V«toi*' 

Raised  by  local  and  county  tax $46,240.37  $70,074.09  51 

Spent   on   teaching  and   supervision. ..  .$42,587.73  $57,514.96  35 

Spent  on  buildings  and  supplies $14,359.75  $10,150.34  *29 

.\dministration    $1,925.73  $3,516.66  83 

Total   school  poi)ulation    4,816  5.436  13 

Total    enrollment     3.259  3.534  3 

Per  cent  of  school  po[)ulation  enrolled              68  65  *3 

Average    daily    attendance 2.359  2.758  17 

Per  cent  in  average  attendance 1-  78  6 

.Average  salaries  of  white  teachers,  in- 
cluding  principals    $607.18  $662.11  9 

School  property    $200,000.00  $250,000.00  25 

Number   of    white    schools '. . .                5  5 

Total  number  of  white  teachers .^4  66  22 

Number   white  teachers   having   normal 

training    2C  40  o4 

Number  white  teachers  having  4  year>' 

experience    ^^  52  aS 

Number  having  college  diplomas,  white              38  35  *8 


64  Durham  Couxty  :  Economic  and  Social 

DETAILS  1908-09  1913-14     ^^pf/ce^jf' 

Total    number    of    schools,    white    and 

colored     7  8  14 

Per    cent    of    teachers    having    normal 

training,    white    49  60  11 

Per  cent  of  teachers  having  4  years'  ex- 
perience, white    61  80  19 

Per  cent  of  teachers  having  college  di- 
plomas,  white    70  53  *10 

*  An  asterisk  (*)  means  decrease. 

FIVE  YEAR  GAINS  IX  WINSTON-SALEM  CITY  SCHOOLS 

1908-'09   to   1913-'14 

DETAILS                                    1908-09  1913-14    ^I'^J^,'' 

Raised  by  local  and  county  tax $23,000.00  $98,581.00  324 

Spent  on  teaching  and   supervision. ..  .$19,890.00  $58,422.78  194 

Spent  on  buildings  and  supplies $3,010.00  $39,967.07  1,228 

Administration    $100.00  $191.56  91 

Total  school  population    5,005  9.387  88 

Total  enrollment    2.543  4,909  93 

Per  cent  of   school  population  enrolled              51  52  2 

Average  daily  attendance   1,769  3,499  98 

Per  cent  in  average  attendance 69  72  3 

Average  salaries  of  white  teachers,  in- 
cluding  principals    384.61  $459.83  19 

School  property  $145,000.00  $233,000.00  60 

Number  of  schools,  white  4  8  100 

Total  number  of  white  teachers 39  103  164 

Number  of  white  teachers  having  norm- 
al  training    12  47  292 

Number    of    white    teachers    having    4 

years'  experience    22  63  186 

Number  having  college  diplomas,  white              19  50  163 
Total  number  of  schools,  white  and  col- 
ored                   5  12  140 

Per    cent    of    teachers    having    normal 

training,   white    30  46  16 

Per  cent  of  teachers  having  4  years'  ex- 
perience, white    56  61  d 

Per  cent  of  teachers  having  college  di- 
plomas,  white    48  48  0 


Diijii.wi   Col  N  I  V  :    K«"(i\(t.\iir  .\.\i»  SoctAi. 


Dl'HIIAM     St.  Hl>l»l.    I-'U.NDS 

YEU  ^J-*        "!i-i^  TOTAL 


I'HS ■$\A.(<m  $.>l.(o5  $46,239 

I'AW 2_>.7«)  Mw>J  36.428 

1*'I(» 27.425  .56.812  t>A.2i7 

191 1 28.M1  .kj.4()5  f)5.1(k. 

1912 27.(KK»  3*MKKI  <)6,(KK> 

191.5 .U474  .V..(.(KI  7().(»74 


VVlNST 

ON     SCH(X)I. 

1*'UN1)S 

18c. 

'ZTS^" 

TOTAL 

$11.(MMI 

$12,000 

$23,000 

12.420 

15.250 

27,670 

14.18(1 

41..5(M) 

55,480 

18.0()() 

21.734 

39,734 

21.0(V) 

39.711 

60,711 

.5(I.(H)0 

68,581 

98.581 

66  Durham  County:  Economic  and  Sociau 

OTHER  DURHAM  COUNTY  INSTITUTIONS 
OF  LEARNING 

W.  M.  Upchurch 

The  private  schools  of  the  city  and  county  should  be  mentioned 
here,  but  no  attempt  will  be  made  to  compare  them  with  other  similar 
institutions  as  was  done  in  connection  with  the  public  schools. 

The  Durham  Business  School 

The  Durham  Business  School  was  organized  some  five  years  ago 
by  Mrs.  Walter  Lee  Lednum,  a  most  able*and  energetic  directress.  From 
the  first  its  success  has  seemed  assured.  It  was  begun  on  a  small 
scale,  but  it  has  grown  steadily  until  recently  it  became  necessary  to 
move  the  school  into  larger  quarters. 

This  school  meets  a  much  felt  need  by  offering  to  many  young 
men  and  young  women,  who  have  to  work  during  the  day,  an  oppor- 
tunity to  take  a  business  course  at  night.  Students  are  entering  in 
ever-increasing  numbers.  Even  some  of  the  city  school  teachers  are 
availing  themselves  of  the  opportunities  ofifered  by  this  institution. 

The  Durham  School  of  Music 

This  school  is  the  result  of  the  private  endeavors  of  Mrs.  Berta 
Wynn  and  Miss  Daisy  Robbins.  Early  their  efforts  met  with  such 
success  as  to  make  it  necessary  to  employ  other  teachers  of  talent.  The 
school  was  incorporated  about  1914.  It  offers  opportunity  to  all  who 
wish   to   improve   their   talents   in   either   vocal   or   instrumental   music. 

The  Southern  Conservatory  of  Music 

Preeminent  among  institutions  of  its  kind  in  tlie  Soutli  stands  the 
Southern  Conservatory  of  Music.  With  such  an  institution  in  our 
midst  there  is  no  occasion  for  any  of  our  people  to  go  without  ad- 
vanced training  in  any  of  the  musical  arts.  The  dormitory  accommo- 
dations make  it  possible  for  this  institution  to  take  care  of  a  large 
number  of  young  ladies  from  other  counties  and  states.  There  is  no 
more  popular  institution  in  Durham,  and  the  community  watches  its 
effective  work  and  growth  with  admiration. 

Trinity  College 

Historical  Sketch. — Trinity  College  is  an  institution  of  which 
Durham  county  is  justly  proud.  It  was  started  originally  in  1838  in 
Randolph  county,  North  Carolina,  and  was  known  as  Union  Institute. 
In  1841  it  was  incorporated  by  the  Legislature  as  Union  Institute  Acad- 
emy. It  became  a  popular  preparatory  school,  and  in  1851  its  name 
was  changed  to  Normal  College.     The  nature  of  the  work  done  that 


DlKIIAM     (yOl'NTY:     Kco.NOMIC    AM)    SoCIAI,  07 

>far  caused  the  legislature  to  autliorizc  tins  institution  to  confer  de- 
crees in  1852.  The  first  class,  numbering  two  students,  was  graduated 
in  1853.  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  Three  years  later,  1856,  a  movement 
was  started  to  jdace  the  College  under  the  control  of  the  Mctliodist 
Kpiscopal  Cliurch,  South,  whicli  took  possession  in  185^.  The  name 
was  then  changed  to  Trinity  College. 

Thirty  years  later.  1889.  the  Methodist  Conference  in  session  at 
Greensboro  decided  to  move  the  College  to  a  city.  Raleigh  tried  to 
have  the  institution  moved  tiiere,  but  citizens  of  Durham  oflFered  a 
more  attractive  proposition,  whicii  was  accepted. 

In  September,  1892.  Trinity  College  opened  its  first  session  in  the 
new  plant  located  at  Durliam.  with  14  ollicers  and  teachers  and  164  stu- 
dents. From  this  beginning  in  our  midst  the  institution  has  grown 
rapidly  to  its  present  proportions.  Last  year,  1916-'17,  the  faculty  and 
officers  numbered  59  and  the  regular  students  570.  If  the  Trinity  Park 
High  School  students  and  the  Durham  county  teachers  are  included, 
all  of  whom  received  some  instruction  from  the  College,  the  total  en- 
rolled in   1916-'17  was  805  students. 

Finances  of  the  College. — The  total  value  of  the  plant  in  round 
numbers  is  $2,650,000;  the  annual  working  income  is  around  $117,000, 
and  the  total  endowment  is  about  $1,605,000.  Perhaps  no  other  south- 
ern college  is  better  equipped  financially  than   Trinity. 

Contributions  in  Leadership. — It  would  be  no  easy  task  to  esti- 
mate the  great  good  accomplished  by  this  institution  of  learning.  For 
almost  a  generation  it  has  been  sending  out  its  students  to  be  leaders 
in  their  respective  communities.  The  teachers  and  preachers  that  go 
out  from  Trinity  College  annually  arc  playing  no  small  part  in  molding 
the  thought  and  directing  the  activities  of  this  and  other  states. 

But  besides  these  Trinity  has  furnished  to  the  nation  such  men  as 
Senators  L.  S.  Overman  and  F.  M.  Simmons,  Congressmen  John  H. 
Small  and  H.  L.  Godwin,  Ambassador  Walter  H.  Page,  and  Commis- 
sioner of  Internal  Revenues  D.  C.  Roper.  These  are  men  of  national 
reputation  and  importance,  and  it  is  a  distinct  compliment  to  Trinity 
College  to  have  produced  them. 

Natioiiul  'rrainiii^  .School 

The  National  Training  School  was  organized  in  1910  with  Dr. 
James  E.  Shepard  as  president.  The  purpose  of  the  institution  is  to 
train  leaders  for  the  colored  race.  About  1914  this  school  met  with 
financial  reverses,  but  it  was  reorganized  in  1916  and  now  seems  to  be 
on  a  sound  financial  basis.  According  to  the  president  the  plant  is  now 
worth  $150,000  and  is  unencumbered;  the  endowment  is  $17,000  and 
the  annual  income  about  the  satnc ;  and  the  present  enrollment  is  192 
students. 


68  DuKHAM  Cou>"ty:  Ecoxo.mic  axd  Social 

HOME-RAISED  FOOD  AND  THE  LOCAL 
MARKET  PROBLEM 

W.  M.  Upchurch 

The  reader  is  again  reminded  that  the  facts  on  which  this  chapter  is 
based  can  be  found  at  the  end  of  the  chapter. 

A  Two  and  a  Half  Million  Dollar  Shortage 

These  figures  show  that  we  consumed  in  the  census  year  over  three 
million  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  worth  of  food  and  feed  stuff. 
Of  this  amount  our  farmers  produced,  in  round  numbers,  only  631 
thousand  dollars  worth,  which  forced  us  to  send  to  other  counties 
and  states  for  pantry  and  farm  supplies  over  two  and  a  half  million  in 
cold  cash.  This  was  $72.85  each  for  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in 
the  county,  both  white  and  colored.  It  left  all  of  us  just  so  much  the 
poorer  and  enriched  the  western  farmers  and  middlemen  by  the  same 
amount. 

In  the  same  year  our  money  crops,  largely  cotton  and  tobacco,  sold 
for  only  382  thousand  dollars.  In  other  words,  our  cotton  and  tobacco 
crops  failed  to  pay  our  bills  for  bread  and  meat  by  nearly  two  and  a 
fifth  million  dollars. 

The  food  bill  above  covers  the  standard,  staple  food  and  feed  stuffs, 
not  extras,  dainties  and  luxuries.  The  estimates  are  based  on  the 
1910  census  of  the  United  States  and  the  average  annual  consumption 
figures  given  out  from  time  to  time  by  the  federal  department  of  agri- 
culture. 

The  Shortage  in  Detail 

This  shortage  in  detail  covers  3,514,920  pounds  of  meats;  1,403,434 
pounds  of  butter;  445,775  dozen  eggs;  338,125  fowls;  892,255  bushels 
of  corn;  118,773  bushels  of  wheat;  and  2,379  tons  of  hay.  Other  prod- 
ucts of  considerable  proportions  such  as  potatoes  are  not  included. 
From  this  it  is  evident  that  we  offer  excellent  market  opportunities  for 
thifty  producers  of  all  these  products,  and  especially  to  farmers  from 
the  North  and  West  seeking  desirable  farm  locations  in  the  South. 

Too  Little  Home-Raised  Supplies 

From  the  foregoing  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  our  home- 
raised  supplies  are  too  small  in  quantity.  Until  we  have  enough  for 
ourselves  and  a  surplus  to  market,  there  will  always  be  too  little.  We 
are  not  on  a  safe  farming  basis  as  a  county  as  long  as  we  are  depend- 
ent on  other  counties  and  states  for  the  staple  necessities  of  life.  As 
will  be  seen  in  the  figures  given  we  were  feeding  only  one  out  of  five  of 


DlUllAM     (ulNl^:     KiONoMK      AM)    SotlAI.  G'.> 

our  ''0(11)10  anil  il<iiuc>tic  aiiiinal>  on  lumic-Krowii  supplies  in  tlic  census 
year. 

AcconlinK  to  Kovernmeiit  estimates,  wc  needed  M  bushels  of  corn 
per  inhabitant  as  feed  tor  man  and  beast,  but  we  produced  only  6 
bushels.  Of  wheat,  we  needed  4  bushels  per  person,  but  produced  less 
than  two-thirds  or  63  per  cent  of  a  bushel.  Wc  needed  150  pounds  of 
meat  per  person ;  we  produced  only  7.5  pounds  of  beef  and  32.3  pounds 
of  pork  per  person.  Xinety-six  counties  in  the  state  did  better  in  the 
beef  production  and  ninety-five  in  pork  production.  .\nd  the  record 
was  not  much  better  in  poultry  production.  We  iiad  only  3.41  fowls 
per  person  per  year,  wiiile  wc  needed  13  to  l)e  on  a  level  with  the 
country  at  large.  As  a  result  we  minced  over  wings  and  gnawed 
bones  when  we  might  have  been  enjoying  a  short  joint  or  a  drum- 
stick. We  consumed  nearly  5  dozen  eggs  per  inhabitant  in  the  run 
of  the  year  more  than  we  raised;  either  this  or  we  went  without 
eggs.  Let  us  remember,  too,  that  poultry  and  eggs  are  necessities 
that  our  city  dwellers  might  produce  in  their  back  lots  with  a  little 
attention  and  exertion.  Eighty-seven  counties  outstrip  us  in  the 
production  of  poultry  and  ninety  in  the  production  of  eggs.  In  butter 
production  we  fell  to  a  similar  low  rank.  Where  we  needed  48  pounds 
of  butter  per  person  per  year  we  produced  only  8,  leaving  a  deficit  of 
40  pounds  per  inhabitant. 

In  brief,  we  produced  in  1909,  about  one-fifth  the  corn  needed,  less 
than  one-fifth  of  the  wheat,  one-twentieth  of  the  beef,  one-fourth  of 
the  pork,  one-third  of  the  chickens,  three  fourths  of  the  eggs,  and 
one-eighth  of  the  butter.  With  these  facts  in  mind,  no  wonder  our 
bill  for  imported  food  and  feed  stuffs  amounted  to  a  little  over  two 
and  a  half  million  dollars.  Since  the  census  year,  we  liave  undoubt- 
edly done  better  in  the  production  of  food  and  feed  stuff,  but  we  have 
yet  a  long  way  to  go. 

Why  Our  Farmers  Fall  Behind 

Our  county  is  not  self-feeding  (I)  because  more  than  iialf  of  our 
population  is  made  up  of  non-food  producing  city  people;  (2)  be- 
cause of  excessive  farm  tenancy  under  the  supply-merchant,  crop-lien, 
time-credit  system;  (3)  because  of  excessive  attention  to  ready-money 
crops,  cotton  and  tobacco;  and  (4)  because  of  the  lack  of  ready  cash 
markets  for  home-raised  supplies. 

The  fact  that  city  dwellers  consume  but  do  not  produce  food  and 
feed  stuffs  explains  in  part  why  we  fall  so  far  short  of  being  a  self- 
feeding  people.  The  seemingly  inexcusable  fact  remains,  however,  that 
most  of  our  farmers  buy  much  of  their  bread  and  meat.  In  the  census 
year  774  farms,  or  nearly  half,  bought  feed  for  their  stock  averaging 
$49.70  per  farm. 


70  Durham  Cou>-ty:  Ecoxo.mic  axd  Social 

Durham  County  High  Averages 

We  can  not  justify  such  a  condition  on  the  ground  that  our  soil  is 
not  well  suited  to  the  grain  crops,  for  in  1909  we  ranked  ahead  of  11 
counties  in  corn,  (H  in  wheat,  and  61  in  hay  production  per  acre.  Dur- 
ham is  well  above  the  state  averages  in  all  these  crops.  And  in  crop 
yielding  power  per  acre,  all  crops  considered,  we  were  ahead  of  58 
North  Carolina  counties. 

Our  Possibilities 

We  ought  to  remember  in  this  connection  also,  that  in  1916  our  corn 
club  boys,  22  in  number,  made  an  average  of  62.1  bushels  per  acre,  or 
over  four  times  the  average  of  the  grown-ups  in  the  county  at  large. 
At  this  rate  Durham  county  could  have  produced  nearly  enough  to 
supply  our  needs.  At  present  prices  a  corn  crop  of  this  size  would 
keep  about  one  and  a  half  million  dollars  at  home  which  we  are  now 
sending  away  to  the  West.  Our  farmers  must  learn  to  increase  their 
per  acre  yields  as  the  corn  club  boys  are  doing.  Now  that  we  must 
feed  our  Allies  as  well  as  ourselves,  the  need  is  greater  than  ever  be- 
fore in  our  history.     It  has  become  a  patriotic  duty. 

The  Farm  Tenancy  Evil 

The  next  reason  why  we  are  not  a  self-feeding  county  is  that  nearly 
three-fifths,  or  56.5  per  cent,  of  our  farmers  are  tenants.  Tenants  usual- 
ly do  business  under  the  crop-lien,  supply-merchant,  time-credit  sys- 
tem, which  makes  it  imperative  for  them  to  grow  a  ready-money  crop, 
such  as  cotton  or  tobacco.  There  is  always  a  cash  market  for  these 
crops,  but  to  get  the  best  prices  for  food  and  feed  stuffs  a  farmer 
must  hold  them  until  the  supply  is  largely  used  up.  This  the  farm 
tenant  can  not  do.  The  supply-merchant  is  waiting  for  his  money,  and 
his  bill  covers  long  profits  and  high  interest  rates  on  the  debt.  The 
crop  lien  must  be  satisfied  before  his  children  may  have  their  winter 
shoes  and  clothes. 

So  long  as  these  conditions  prevail,  the  farm  tenant  will  continue 
to  neglect  food  and  feed  crops  for  cotton  and  tobacco,  for  which  there 
is  a  nearby  ready  cash  market.  Now  while  the  demands  for  bread  and 
meat  crops  are  great  and  the  prices  are  high,  tenants  need  to  redouble 
their  efforts  to  produce  more  and  save  more  until  they  become  able  to 
buy  farms  of  their  own  on  which  they  may  settle  down  into  stable,  sub- 
stantial citizenship.  When  a  man  can  sit  down  under  his  own  vine  and 
fig  tree  and  look  out  over  the  fields  as  lord  of  all  he  surveys,  then,  and 
then  only,  can  he  be  his  own  boss  and  choose  his  own  crops,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  added  joy  which  comes  from  putting  his  knees  under 
his  own  table  and  saying  grace  over  the  bounties  grown  on  his  own 
soil. 


DlKllAM     (    oi    \  rv  :     K(0N0MI(      AM)    SoCIAl.  71 

Farm  Owiuts  Dt'luded 

But  often  our  farm  owners  themselves  are  slaves  to  cotton  or  to- 
bacco culture.  They  are  fixed  in  the  habit  of  raising  cotton  and  tobacco 
and  they  are  slow  to  change.  They  think  that  their  only  chance  for 
large  returns  lies  in  these  crops.  They  arc  deluded  simply  because  cot- 
ton and  tobacco  bring  large  per  acre  returns.  They  seem  to  forget 
tliat  these  arc  hand-made  products  which,  after  all,  bring  only  small 
per  worker  returns. 

Our  farmers  should  all  tlu'  while  keep  before  their  minds  the  fact 
that  in  Alleghany  county  the  average  farmer,  who  produces  no  cotton 
or  tobacco,  is  worth  nearly  three  times  as  much  as  the  average  farmer 
in  Durham  county.  They  should  remember,  too,  that  the  per  capita 
country  wealth  of  Iowa,  a  grain  and  livestock  state,  is  over  sixteen 
times  that  of  our  county.  There  are  reasons  for  these  differences  and 
our  farmers  must  spell  them  out.  They  will  always  need  to  grow 
cotton  and  tobacco,  but  they  must  learn  to  produce  these  crops  with 
barns,  cribs  and  smoke  houses  filled  with  home-grown  supplies.  Cot- 
ton and  tobacco  produced  on  a  bread  and  meat  basis  means  fatter 
pocket  books  and  bigger  bank  balances. 

Decreasing  Food  and  Feed  Stuffs 
Producing  only  about  one-fifth  of  our  food  and  feed  supply  in  1910 
was  bad  cnougli,  but  this  was  not  the  worst.  It  is  of  greater  import- 
ance to  know  whether  or  not  we  are  moving  forward  or  backward  in 
this  important  matter  of  food  production.  While  our  population,  espe- 
cially in  the  city,  has  increased  by  leaps  and  bounds,  creating  of  course 
increased  needs  for  home-grown  products,  these  products  on  our  farms 
have  actually  decreased.  For  instance,  in  1910,  our  farmers  produced 
45,129  bushels  of  corn  less  than  they  did  in  1900,  and  26,150  bushels 
of  wheat  less  than  in  1890,  when  our  population  was  only  half  as  great. 
In  1890  we  produced  nearly  3  bushels  of  wheat  per  inhabitant,  but  in 
1910  the  average  was  less  than  two-thirds  of  a  bushel.  Between  1900 
and  1910  our  oats  crop  decreased  43  per  cent,  our  hogs  9  per  cent,  our 
cattle  14  per  cent,  and  our  sheep  63  per  cent.  With  the  demand  increas- 
ing and  the  supply  decreasing,  no  wonder  the  prices  have  sky-rocketed 
into  the  upper  ether. 

A  Step  in  the  Right  Direction 

But  every  cloud  has  its  silvery  lining.  While  we  were  losing  in 
the  above  mentioned  products  we  were  gaining  in  others.  For  instance, 
in  the  same  ten  years  we  made  a  gain  of  151  per  cent  in  total  hay 
production,  59  per  cent  in  dairy,  and  37.1  per  cent  in  poultry  products. 
We  also  moved  up  in  Irish  potato  production  from  4,710  bushels  to 
6.212.  and  in  sweet  potatoes  from  36,778  to  69,640  bushels. 

Besides   these   total  gains,   there  have  been   important    increases   in 


72  Durham  CouisrY:  Eco>:omic  axd  Social 

our  per  acre  yields  due  to  better  methods  and  more  intensive  farming. 
In  1890  our  farmers  produced  on  an  average  11.03  bushels  of  corn  per 
acre,  but  in  1910  they  were  growing  14.6  bushels  on  the  same  land,  a 
gain  of  32  per  cent.  During  the  same  interval  the  yield  of  Irish  po- 
tatoes moved  up  from  75.6  to  85.1  busliels,  and  sweet  potatoes  from 
72.5  to  103.4  bushels  per  acre. 

There  were  similar  gains  in  the  per  acre  yields  of  cotton  and  to- 
bacco. We  were  producing  almost  twice  as  much  cotton  per  acre  in 
1910  as  we  produced  in  1890.  Our  gain  in  tobacco  yield  rose  from  348 
pounds  per  acre  in  1890  to  583  pounds  in  1910,  about  62  per  cent. 

Durham's  Self-Defensive  Interest  in  the  Local  Food  and  Feed 
Market  Problems 

Our  farmers  are  able  to  dispose  of  their  cotton  and  tobacco  for 
ready  cash  at  any  time,  but  not  so  of  their  food  and  feed  stuffs. 
Which  is  to  say,  we  have  settled  our  local  market  problems  for  cot'ion 
and  tobacco,  but  not  for  home-raised  food  stuffs.  Only  this  last  sum- 
mer the  writer  was  approached  late  in  the  afternoon  by  a  farmer  wi*^h 
a  peck  of  beans  which  he  had  not  been  able  to  sell  after  a  day's  effort. 
It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  was  the  last  truck  this  man  brought  to 
town.  That  same  day  our  merchants  sold  us  great  quantities  of  the 
same  kind  of  beans  shipped  in  from  distant  markets.  We  paid  more 
for  the  stale  shipped  beans  than  we  would  have  had  to  pay  for  those 
home-grown  and  fresh;  and  what  is  worse,  the  money  went  to  distant 
truckers,  instead  of  staying  here  to  circulate  freely  among  our  own 
people.  Our  farmers  are  never  likely  to  supply  our  needs  so  long  as 
we  neglect  our  food  market  problem. 

A  Menace  to  All  Growth 

Along  with  questions  about  the  schools  and  churches,  intelligent 
home-seekers  of  the  sort  we  want  nearly  always  ask  about  the  cost  of 
living.  Other  things  being  equal,  the  town  which  has  most  nearly 
solved  the  problem  of  markets  for  home-produced  food  supplies  is  the 
place  they  choose  for  residence.  If  we  lack  market  advantages  the 
home-seekers  go  elsewhere,  and  our  real  estate  men,  our  bankers,  our 
merchants,  our  income  from  taxes,  and  our  social  organizations  fail 
to  go  forward  as  they  might,  and  our  industries  suffer  for  lack  of 
workers. 

But  the  factories  have  still  another  interest  in  helping  to  keep  down 
the  cost  of  living.  As  living  expenses  increase,  wages  must  be  in- 
creased. As  wages  go  up,  the  profits  or  dividends  on  the  capital  in- 
vested must  come  down.  If  wages  are  not  increased  with  the  cost  of 
living,  then  the  wage-earners'  standard  of  living  must  be  lowered.  In 
a  community  like  ours,  this  means  unrest,  discontent,  labor-unions,  and 


1)(  Kii.vM    ('(Mmy:   Kconcmk    am*  So(;iai.  7:J 

strike  situations.  I.owcr  standards  of  living  may  furtlicr  mean  lower 
standards  of  health  and  strength  which  mean  less  eflkicnt  workers. 
Said  Dr.  E.  C.  Branson,  of  the  University  faculty,  sometime  ago 
in  an  address  to  the  people  of  Charlotte.  "The  evil  day  of  wage  an<l 
labor  tronliles  has  not  yet  come  upon  the  South;  or  so.  only  in  a  center 
or  twt)  wiierc  city  leadersiiip  has  been  stolidly  unconcerned  about  local 
market  i)roblems  and  the  cost  of  living.  I'.ut  North  and  South,  tiie  fu- 
ture of  every  manufacturing  center  is  now  critically  related  (1)  to  a 
prosperous  food-producing  civilization  in  the  nearby  trade  territory, 
and  (2)  to  cflFective  local  markets  for  home-raised  food  supplies  of 
every  sort." 

City  Leaders  from  the  Farms 

There  is  still  another  reason  of  great  importance  wliy  the  city  sliould 
offer  an  effective  local  market  for  home-grown  products.  A  ready  cash 
market  for  all  surplus  food  and  feed  stuffs  will  encourage  the  farmers 
in  our  trade  territory  to  grow  more  supplies  tlian  tliey  need.  And  when 
they  have  plenty  and  to  spare,  they  have  an  independence  of  feeling, 
thought  and  action  that  tliey  can  not  liavc  when  they  are  dependent  on 
others  for  much  of  their  bread  and  butter.  Big-scale  production  and 
big-scale  thinking  go  hand  in  hand.  To  the  thinking  man  this  ought  to 
have  some  meaning. 

Our  city  is  dependent  upon  the  surrounding  country  for  population 
and  the  renewal  of  population.  Every  year  many  people  move  into  the 
city  from  the  country  regions  round  about.  Emerson  said  that  if  city 
populations  were  not  steadily  recruited  from  the  open  fields,  they 
would  rot  out.  explode  and  disappear  in  three  generations.  In  the  light 
of  actual  facts,  the  above  statement  is  interesting.  Three-fourths  of 
the  leaders  in  our  city  churches ;  three-fourths  of  the  influential  men 
of  affairs — the  business  men,  the  bankers,  the  lawyers,  and  judges  in 
our  cities;  five-sixths  of  the  college  profes.sors  in  .America;  and  si.\- 
sevenths  of  the  ministers  were  born.  bred,  and  "buttered"  on  the 
farms.  Realizing  this  it  behooves  the  city  dwellers  to  help  better  coun- 
try conditions.  Small  producers  there,  tlicy  will  be  peanut  thinkers 
here;  large,  successful,  independent  producers  there,  they  will  be  big- 
scale  thinkers  and  leaders  wlien  they  come  to  us. 

Effective  Local  Markets 

A  lecturer  on  the  Chautauqua  platform  here  last  spring,  who  lived 
in  New  York  city  but  owned  a  grape  farm  in  northern  Ohio,  said  that 
grapes  for  which  he  received  twelve  and  a  half  cents  at  his  farm,  cost 
him,  when  delivered  at  his  door  in  New  York,  one  dollar.  Of  this 
one  dollar  the  producer,  the  man  who  owned  the  soil,  planted,  culti- 
vated and  pruned  the  vine  and  gathered  the  grapes,  received  one- 
eigiith.  while  the  middle-men— tlie  wholesale  and  retail  merchants  and 
carriers— took  the  seven-eighths. 


74  DuKHAM  County:  Ecoxomic  akd  Social 

Effective  local  markets  lower  the  cost  of  living  by  bringing  the 
producers  and  the  consumers  into  direct  dealings  with  one  another. 
Until  the  farmers  get  more  for  their  products  and  the  consumers  get 
more  for  their  money,  the  problem  is  not  solved,  no  matter  how  large 
or  expensive  the  market  house.  Useless  middlemen  and  excessive  mid- 
dlemen profits  must  disappear.  This  is  the  problem  of  markets  every- 
where. The  trouble  is,  our  producers  and  consumers  are  not  organ- 
ized in  ways  advantageous  to  both,  and  both  classes  suffer  from  the 
iron  law  of  trade,  which  is :  "Keep  producers  and  consumers  as  far 
apart  as  possible;  pass  economic  goods  from  one  to  another  through 
as  many  hands  as  possible ;  charge  consumers  as  much  as  possible ;  and 
give  producers  as  little  as  possible."  As  long  as  we  allow  this  law  to 
operate  we  shall  suffer.  The  producers  will  get  little  for  their  products, 
the  consumers  will  get  little  for  their  money,  while  the  middlemen  will 
get  the  greater  part  of  the  wealth  the  farmers  produce. 

The  Solution  of  the  Problem 

Th  local  market  problem  is  difficult  of  solution.  Since  prices  have 
joined  the  eagles  in  the  upper  air,  people  everywhere  have  begun  to  be 
interested  in  it,  but  perhaps  nowhere  has  it  been  settled  satisfactorily. 
However,  there  is  one  point  on  which  we  all  agree  and  that  is,  the  use- 
less middlemen  must  be  eliminated.  The  recent  movement  by  the  al- 
dermen to  have  a  city  woodyard  is  evidence  of  their  faith  in  this  idea, 
as  was  the  agitation  for  the  open  air  street  markets  this  past  summer, 
which  failed  to  operate. 

It  ought  to  be  possible  for  farmers  to  sell  all  their  products  directly 
to  consumers  under  proper  health  inspections,  but  with  no  other  restric- 
tions, and  get  the  profits  which  the  merchants  and  market  men  now  re- 
ceive in  largest  part.  Under  such  an  arrangement  food  and  feed  stuffs 
will  be  produced  on  a  thousand  Durham  county  hills  that  now  lie  idle. 

Co-operation  Necessary 

A  few  men  and  women  of  the  city,  gathered  in  a  room  for  discus- 
sion, will  not  be  able  to  solve  the  problem.  Discussions  by  farmers 
alone  at  cross-road  gatherings  or  corn  shuckings  can  not  settle  it. 
These  will  help,  to  be  sure,  but  in  the  end  all  interested  parties  will 
need  to  come  together  for  common  agreement.  The  farmers,  the  mer- 
chants, the  bankers,  the  city  fathers,  the  law-makers  and  the  house- 
wives should  all  be  there.  Success  calls  for  the  direct  co-operation  of 
all.  If  consumers  are  unconcerned  and  unorganized,  or  if  banks  and 
transportation  companies  are  neglectful  or  hostile,  the  farmers'  chance 
for  success  is  reduced  to  a  minimum.  Success  lies  in  co-operation,  not 
in  contest. 


DlUJlAM     I'ol.NlV:     K<<»N<>.MI(      AM»    SoiJIAL  76 

The  City  Knd  of  thi'  rroblom 
"Success  in  the  undertaking  calls,  first  of  all,  for  a  genuine  market- 
ing habit  on  the  part  of  housewives ;  for  well  managed,  centrally  lo- 
cated markets  with  cqjd  storage  chambers  for  perishable  products ;  for 
credit  accommodations  on  stored  products  when  needed ;  for  ample 
market  spaces  for  free,  open  air  trading;  for  convenient  public  hitch- 
ing grounds,  camping  sheds,  and  feeding  stalls;  for  indications  of  city 
hospitality — rest  rooms  with  lavoratory  and  toilet  conveniences,  chairs, 
tables,  books,  magazines,  and  newspapers ;  for  a  free  telephone  market 
exchange  in  tlie  city  hall  or  chamber  of  commerce,  operated  by  a  com- 
petent official  whose  business  it  is  to  acquaint  consumers  with  the 
sources  of  neigliborhood  supply;  and  to  advise  the  farmers  about  the 
wants,  standards  and  tastes  of  city  consumers,  and  for  co-operative 
city  delivery  service."  These,  says  Dr.  Branson,  are  some  of  the  plans 
and  projects  that  he  finds  in  various  alert  city  centers. 

What  Merchants  Might  Do 

Our  merchants  should  learn  from  our  manufacturers  that  the  mot- 
to, "Big  business,  cheaper  cost  of  production,  and  greater  profit,"  may 
be  as  true  in  a  grocery  store  as  in  a  factory.  It  requires  no  agitation  or 
argument  to  get  the  managers  of  big  concerns  to  pool  their  interests, 
but  merchants  with  small  capital  oppose  one  another  on  every  corner. 
Small  concerns  might  combine  with  advantage  to  themselves  and  the 
consumers.  Buying  and  delivering  in  large  quantities  is  much  better 
business  than  buying  and  selling  in  small  amounts.  Delivery  wagons 
from  a  dozen  stores  may  be  seen  in  rapid  succession  on  a  short  street 
where  one  wagon  could  serve  the  people  just  as  well. 

The  author  overheard  some  leading  merchants  discussing  the  mat- 
ter of  co-operative  buying  in  car  lots.  If  the  retail  merchants  every- 
where would  only  do  this,  the  wholesale  profits  would  be  saved.  The 
small  merchants  who  could  not  do  this  on  a  cash  basis  would  do  well 
to  quit  the  business  entirely  and  become  producers  of  wealth  in  soine 
other  line  rather  than  continue  to  be  small  exchangers  of  products. 

What  the  Banks  Can  Do 

Down  in  Texas  the  people  have  a  way  of  doing  things  rather  than 
talking  about  doing  them.  The  bankers  decided  it  was  bad  business 
policy  to  continue  to  allow  217  million  dollars  to  leave  the  state  annual- 
ly for  food  and  feed  stuff  which  the  farmers  could  grow.  They  have 
begun,  therefore,  to  refuse  loans  to  the  supply-merchants  wlio  do  a 
crop-lien  business  protected  by  cotton  acreage  alone.  They  have  a 
half-and-half  system.  They  stipulate  a  minimum  acreage  which  must 
be  devoted  to  food  production,  and  farmers  are  required  to  raise  a  cer- 
tain amount  on  this  acreage.  They  are  doing  this  to  force  the  supply- 
merchants  to  force  the  farmers  to  become  self-feeding.     Such  a  sys- 


76  Dl'iuiam  Couxty:  Ecoxomic  and  Social 

tem  insures  a  food-producing  farm  civilization  which  means  farm  pros- 
perit}^  It  also  means  bigger,  better,  safer  business  for  the  time-credit 
merchants  and  for  bankers. 

The  same  system  might  be  used  in  our  coun]^-  where  cotton  and  to- 
bacco are  emphasized  to  the  neglect  of  food  crops.  We  have  tried  in 
vain  to  accumulate  farm  wealth  under  our  money-crop  system  of  farm- 
ing. In  1910  our  farm  population  was  worth  only  $210  per  capita.  This 
is  a  small  sum  to  set  over  against  $456  in  Mecklenburg,  $560  in  Alle- 
ghany, $830  in  Oklahoma,  $3,259  in  Nebraska,  $3,386  in  Iowa,  and 
$994  in  the  United  States. 

The  Farmers'  End  of  the  Problem 

Our  farmers  need  to  understand  the  full  import  of  the  figures 
above.  They  need  to  realize  the  mutual  dependence  of  the  city  and 
the  country.  The  farmers  depend  upon  the  city  for  market  and  credit 
accommodations.  The  city  depends  upon  the  farmers  for  products. 
Neither  can  get  along  without  the  other.  They  should,  therefore,  get 
together  and  have  a  common  understanding,  and  the  farmers  should 
meet  the  city  half  way. 

It  is  not  enough  for  the  ladies  along  in  July  to  decide  to  visit  the 
open  air  market  places  with  baskets.  If  the  farmers  do  not  know  of 
such  a  plan  before  planting  time,  they  will  not  be  ready.  Nor  is  it 
enough  for  the  farmers  to  determine  among  themselves  to  supply  the 
local  markets.  If  the  people  and  merchants  of  the  city  do  not  know 
about  this,  they  will  be  supplied  with  products  shipped  in  from  other 
markets  the  day  before  the  farmers  get  to  town.  The  producers  and 
consumers  should  bargain  together.  The  vegetable  and  meat  pro- 
ducers should  be  regular  visitors  at  certain  citj'  doors  as  is  the  milk 
man,  and  there  might  be  an  understanding  about  what  is  to  be  brought 
each  day.  It  is  discouraging  for  the  farmer  to  bring  cabbage  to  town 
the  very  day  that  every  house-wife  seems  to  be  determined  on  beans, 
and  then  return  the  next  day  with  beans  only  to  find  they  all  musit 
have  cabbage  for  the  sake  of  variety  and  a  well  balanced  ration. 

In  short,  the  farmers  must  keep  up  with  market  demands.  They 
must  not  dump  all  the  perishable  products  on  the  market  at  once,  but 
must  plant  so  as  to  have  a  steady,  continuous,  reliable  supply  at  all 
times  and  be  ready  to  satisfy  the  wants  on  short  notice.  What  they 
bring,  too,  must  look  as  good  and  taste  as  good  as  the  products  offered 
by  their  competitors  abroad. 

FACTS  ABOUT  FOOD  AND  FEED  PRODUCTION 

The  Durham  county  rank  at  the  left  margin  shows  how  many  coun- 
ties do  better. 

74th     in  corn  production,  1910,  total  crop,  bushels 201,301 

Robeson  ranked  first  with  1,142,060  bushels.     Ten-year 


Ul  KIIAM     CoINTY:    K«<».\<»M1C    AM)    SuCIAI.  77 

decrease  in  corn  production,  ly(HI-1910,  in  Durliam 
county  was  18  per  cent,  or  45.129  l)usliels.  Thirty- 
eight  counties  showed  increase ;  60  showed  de- 
crease. 

93tli     in  corn  production  per  pcrM.n,  1910,     l)nslu-ls 6 

Needed  per  person  per  year  31  bushels  for  man  and 
animals;  deficit  per  person.  25  bushels;  total  defi- 
cit for  Durham  county  892.250  bushels.  State  av- 
era^je  production,  15  bushels  per  person. 

23rd     in  corn  production  per  acre,  bushels 14.6 

State  average  14.3  bushels  per  acre.  Dare  ranked 
first  with  28  pushels  per  acre. 

A-<th     in  wheat  production  per  person,  bushels .63 

Needed  4  bushels  per  person ;  deficit  per  person,  3J7 
bushels,  or  a  total  deficit  for  Durham  county  of 
118,773  bushels.  Ten  year  decrease  in  wheat  pro- 
duction, 1900-'10,  3  per  cent.  State  averuKc  de- 
crease   in    wheat    production,    1900-'10,    12   per   cent. 

.'3rd     in  wheat  production  per  acre,  bushels 8.1 

State  average,  8  bushels  per  acre.  Wayne  ranked 
first  with  30  bushels  per  acre. 

6lst     in  oats  production,  total  crop,  bushels 9,880 

Tlie  oats  raised  amounted  to  .7  of  a  pint  per  work  ani- 
mal per  day,  rank  53rd.  Ten-year  decrease  in  oats 
production,   1900-'10,  43  per  cent;  rank  68th. 

39th     in  hay  and  forage  production,  total  crop,  tons 3,327 

Ten  year  increase,  1900-'10,  was  151  per  cent;  rank 
16th.  The  hay  and  forage  produced  was  five  pounds 
per  work  animal  per  day,  to  say  nrvthing  of  cattle. 

92nd     in  per  cent  of  farms  buying  feed,  1910  census 48 

774  farms,  or  a  little  less  than  half  of  them,  bought 
feed  averaging  $49.70  per  farm.  The  farmers  in  79 
counties  bought  less  feed   from  tlie  West. 

96th     in  beef  production  per  person,  pounds 7.5 

State  average  33.8  pounds.  150  pounds  of  meat  per 
capita  needed.  Only  eight  counties  produce  enough 
for  their  use,  Alleghany,  Ashe,  Clay,  Watauga,  Hay- 
wood, Yancey,  McDowell,  and  Madison.  .Mlegliany 
is  the  richest  county  in  per  capita  country  wealth. 

95th     in  pork  production  per  person,  pounds 32.3 

State  average  93.3  pounds.    State  average  of  hogs  sold 


78  Durham  County  :  Economic  axd  Social 

and  slaughtered,  .47  of  a  hog;  U.  S.,  .57;  Iowa,  2.12 
hogs;  Durham  county  .16. 

88th     in  poultry  production  per  person,  fowls 3.41 

Needed  13  fowls  per  person  per  year ;  deficit,  9.59 
fowls  per  person  per  year.  Total  deficit,  338,125 
fowls. 

91st     in   egg   deficit,   dozens 445,800 

Needed   17.5   dozen  per   person ;   produced   12.6  dozen 
per  person  per  year,  leaving  a  deficit  of  4.9  dozen. 
79th    in  increase  of   farm  sales  of  dairy  products   1900-'10, 

per  cent .59 

Total  sales  in  1910  were  $31,771. 
State  increase  was  146  per  cent.  Durham  county  pro- 
duced 8  pounds  of  butter  per  person  per  year.  The 
rural  production  was  17  pounds  per  capita.  The  av- 
erage amount  needed  was  48  pounds.  The  per  capita 
deficit  was  40  pounds.  Total  deficit,  1,403,000  pounds. 

65th     in  livestock  products  per  person $14 

Alleghany  $65 ;  state  average  $17 ;  Dare  lowest  with 
0.77.  Per  capita  crop  production  in  Durham  was 
$45.50;  total  farm  wealth  produced  was  $59.50  per 
person,  rural. 

92nd     in  bill   for   imported   food   and   feed   supplies $2,559,000 

In   one   and   one-half   years   it   more  than   equals   the 
farm  wealth  accumulated  in  our  entire  history. 
16th     in  boys  corn  club  enrollment  in  1916,  boys  reporting..  22 

Stokes  stood  first  in  number  of  boys  reporting  with  85. 
The  average  per  acre  production  in  Durham  county 
was  62.1  bushels,  or  nearly  five  times  the  average  of 
the  county  at  large.  At  this  rate  the  grown-ups 
might  have  produced  nearly  enough  corn  for  home 
consumption.  Instead  they  bought  892,255  bushels. 
In  1917  this  would  cost  $1,500,000. 

10th     in  girls'  canning  club  work,  1915,  total  value $3,458.09 

Cost,  not  including  labor,  $782.57;  profit,  $2,675.52. 
Fifty-two  girls  reported.  Anson  led  with  $9,709.14 
worth  of  canned  goods. 

DURHAM  COUNTY  BALANCE  SHEET  IN  FOOD  STUFFS 
Based  on  the  1910  Census 

1.    Food  and  Feed  Needed: 

35,276  people  needed  food  @  $84 $2,963,184 

3,337  work  animals  needed  food  @  $39 130,143 


DlIvHAM     Cur.NlY:     I'\o.M»MU'    AMJ    SoCIAI,  70 

J.138  dairy  cows  needed   food  ^  $18.55 58.209 

1,742  otiicr  cattle  needed   food  @  $8.09 14.092 

5,186  swine  needed  food  @  $6.79 ^=;.2't2 

269  sheep  and  goals  needed   food  Cn,  $1.79 481 

Total  food  and  feed  needed $3,201,311 

I'lKiD  .\.ND  Fked  Produckd: 

Food  and  feed  crops $  392.818 

Dairy  products    76.520 

Poultry  products    63,445 

Honey  and  wa.x 1 ,654 

.'\nimals  sold  and  slaughtered 'Mi,797 

Total  food  and  feed  raised 631,234 

Shortage  of  food  and  feed 2.570,077 

Non-food  crop  values,  mainly  cotton  and  tobacco....         381.W3 

Final   deficit    2,188.084 

Distribution  of  Shortage: 

(1)  Meat:  Needed  for  35.276  iieople  at  152  ll)s.  cacli.  .5.361.952  lbs. 
Produced : 

888  calves  slaughtered  at   125  lbs....     111.0(X)  lbs. 
561   cattle  slaughtered  at  300  lbs....     168.302  lbs 

12U.463  poultry  raised  at  4  lbs 418.852  ll)s. 

31  sheep      and      goats      slaughtered 

at  50  lbs 1,550  lbs. 

5.707  swine  slaughtered  at  190  lbs 1.084.330  lbs.  1.847.032  lbs. 

Deficit 3.514,920  lbs. 

(2)  Butter:    Needed    for    35,276    people 

at   48  lbs 1.693,248  lbs. 

Produced    289.814  lbs. 

Deficit 1,4U3,4.U  lbs. 

(3)  Kggs:     Needed    for   35,276   at    17.5 

doz 617,330  doz. 

Produced     191.555  doz. 

Deficit  445.775  doz. 

(4)  Fowls:     Needed  for  35.276  people  at 

13  eacli   458.588 

Produced     1_U463 

Deficit    3.^8.125  doz. 


\ 

so  Dlkiiam  County:  Economic  axd  Social 

(5)  Corn  :  Needed  for  35,276  people  at 

31  bu.  per  person 1.093,556  bu. 

Produced     201.301  bu. 

Deficit    892,255  bu. 

(6)  \\'heat:     Needed   for  35.276  people 

at  4  bu 141,104  bu. 

Produced     22,331  bu. 

Deficit     118,773  bu. 

(7)  Hay  and  forage:  Needed  for  3,337 

work  animals  at  1.5  tons 5,005  tons 

Produced    2,626  tons 

Deficit 2,377  tons 


81 


WHERE  WE  LEAD  AND  WHERE  WE  LAG 

\1        l;.      l-n.M.,K 

Durliaiii  c.)il»it\  lies  along  the  eastern  ed^e  ol  the  IMetlinont  section 
ul  Xortii  Carolina.  It  lias  lieen  hountifully  Messed  by  natnre  with  good 
soils  in  great  variety  and  with  good  climate.  The  good  i)eople  of  the 
comity  have  huildcd  a  great  city  and  fairly  prosperous  country  regions. 
It  is  to  the  county  as  a  whole  that  we  here  direct  our  attention. 

The  farm  life  of  the  county  has  by  no  means  kept  pace  with  that  oi 
her  capital  city.  This  statement  doe>  not  mean  that  there  is  no  room 
for  improvement  in  the  city  of  Durliam.  I-'ifty  years  ago  tlic  farmers 
of  Durham  could  not  tiiul  a  market  for  their  products.  Today  the  city 
of  Durliam  sends  away  annually  for  food  supplies  alone  over  two  and 
a  half  million  dollars. 

.Although  we  are  behind  in  food  production,  we  arc  ahead  in  many 
other  particulars.  .\  shining  example  to  the  other  counties  of  the  state 
is  our  investment  in  public  school  property.  Durham  county  stands  at 
the  head  of  the  list  in  per  capita  investment  in  white  school  property. 
In  1914  it  was  $\3J7  per  person.  Our  children  are  well  cared  for  by 
efficient  and  cfTcctive  schools.  Only  three  counties  in  the  state  pay 
their  white  rural  teachers  more  than  we  do.  Our  average  in  1914  was 
$338.  This  is  not  enough  to  boast  of.  Nevertheless,  it  is  more  than 
ninety-six  otlier  counties  paid.  Kdgecombe  led  with  an  average  of 
$358.80  per  year.  We  have  abundant,  well  managed  rural  schools,  51.2 
per  cent  having  two  or  more  teachers.  On  the  whole,  and  also  in 
specific  detail,  our  school  systems  arc  modern  and  praiseworthy. 

Though  Durham  is  not  a  large  county  in  size,  eighty  counties  being 
larger.  \et  only  fourteen  have  more  inhabitants.  When  the  1910  census 
was  taken,  we  had  35,276  people.  In  1914  only  nine  counties  had  a 
higher  marriage  rate  per  l.(KK)  population.  Fourteen  out  of  every 
1.0(X)  marry  per  year. 

In  keeping  with  our  lead  in  wealth,  Durham  county  in  1916  sto.nl 
at  the  head  of  the  list  in  the  per  capita  taxable  wealth  of  whites  with 
$764.  In  the  per  capita  taxable  wealth  of  negroes  we  fell  to  the  thir- 
teenth place.  Our  negroes  are  worth  on  the  tax  books  only  $60  a  piece, 
on  an  average. 

The  next  most  important  improvement  is  our  roads.  In  1914  Dur- 
ham county  had  144  miles  of  improved  roads,  (^nly  19  counties  had 
improved  a  larger  per  cent  of  their  public  roads  mileage.  Our  most 
pressing  need  at  present  is  to  keep  our  roads  in  good  repair  and  to 
build  some  streets  in  the  city  of  Durham. 

Let  us  now  go  out  one  of  our  main  streets  and  after  bumping  over 
this  tlioroughfare,  glide   over   one  of   .ur  country   roads   towards   <nir 


82  Durham  County:  Economic  and  Social 

farms.  We  naturally  see  everything  that  looks  good  at  first,  because 
we  are  trying  to  boost  Durham.  After  looking  over  the  situation  we 
find  that  our  total  crop  wealth  is  above  the  average.  We  stand  22nd 
in  this  particular.  In  crop  yielding  power  per  acre  we  are  43rd.  This 
means  that  we  are  doing  fairly  well.  On  looking  around  we  find  that 
we  have  made  some  increase  in  poultry  and  dairy  products.  During  the 
above  mentioned  period  our  poultry  increase  was  37.1  per  cent.  The 
state  average  increase  was  only  15.4  per  cent. 

Reviewing  our  whole  county  we  find  that  the  city  of  Durham  is  a 
growing  industrial  centre,  made  up  of  folks,  all  working,  working  for 
the  prosperity  of  Durham,  and  for  the  happiness  of  themselves  and 
future  generations.  We  find  that  while  our  city  dwellers  are  alive 
to  every  advantageous  industrial  movement,  there  is  less  of  alertness 
in  agriculture,  the  bread-and-meat  end  of  our  county,  the  very  back- 
bone and  source  of  our  physical  existence. 

Where  We  Lag 

Durham's  bill  in  one  year  for  imported  food  and  feed  supplies,  ac- 
cording to  the  United  States  census  report  and  estimates  is  $2,559,000. 
This  was  the  census  year,  1910 ;  at  present  prices  this  deficit  would  be 
around  $5,000,000,  unless  we  have  moved  up  in  the  production  of  bread 
and  meat  since  1910.  Most  of  this  money  could  be  kept  at  home  by  a 
well  balanced  system  of  money  crops,  feed  crops  and  livestock. 
Fift3'-six  other  counties  of  this  state  have  a  greater  per  capita  country 
wealth  in  farm  properties  than  we  do.  It  is  folly  to  say  that  Durham 
should  raise  nothing  but  food  and  feed,  when  it  has  good  cotton  and 
tobacco  land.  Yet  it  is  still  more  foolish  to  produce  cotton  and  to- 
bacco at  30  cents  a  pound  and  buy  corn  for  $2.00  a  bushel,  and  wheat 
at  $2.25,  and  leave  a  deficit  at  the  end  of  the  year  in  our  bank  account. 
In  1910  we  produced  farm  wealth  averaging  only  $59.50  per  inhabi- 
tant. Of  course  we  have  a  large  city  full  of  people  that  are  not  pro- 
ducing food  at  all.  France  is  also  thickly  settled,  but  the  Frenchmen 
produce  an  average  of  $126  worth  of  farm  wealth  annually.  Scotland 
covmty,  North  Carolina,  produces  $181  worth. 

Our  greatest  wealth  producers  in  Durham  are  naturally  our  indus- 
tries. Our  farms  ought  to  be  our  greatest  wealth  retainers.  Never 
will  we  be  put  on  a  permanent  footing  of  prosperity  until  our  farmers 
feed  themselves  first  and  then  in  a  large  measure  feed  our  city.  This 
will  not  decrease  commerce,  but  will  rather  throw  the  balance  of  trade 
in  our  favor.  It  is  possible,  considering  the  idle  acres  in  our  county, 
for  Durham  to  ship  food  supplies  as  well  as  tobacco  to  those  places 
that  cannot  produce  these  commodities.  At  present  95  counties  in  the 
state  make  a  better  showing  in  regard  to  food  and  feed  production  per 
person.  Our  soil  is  fitted  for  raising  corn,  wheat,  oats,  and  vegetables. 
Our  present  capacity  in  these  commodities  can  and  ought  to  be  doubled. 


DiKiiAM  Coi'.nty:  Economic  and  Social  83 

There  is  another  side  of  farming  in  wliich  we  fall  behind.  With 
our  pasture  land,  it  seems  inexcusable  for  us  to  be  behind  95  other 
counties  in  North  Carolina  in  beef  production;  behind  87  in  poultry 
production,  and  behind  94  in  pork  production. 

A  good  natured  farmer  was  purchasing  fat -back  to  the  tune  of  21 
cents  per  pound  at  a  grtjcery  store  in  Durham  sonu-  time  ago.  He 
was  asked  by  a  local  city  dweller  if  he  could  not  raise  hogs  cheaper  than 
the  price  he  was  paying  for  meat.  This  line  old  chap  from  the  farm 
said  that  he  reckoned  he  could  if  he  were  not  so  "durned  lazy."  Per- 
haps, to  some  degree,  this  accounts  for  the  fact  that  56.5  per  cent  of 
our  farms  are  not  operated  by  owners,  but  by  tenants,  most  of  whom 
are  not  producing  a  surplus.  Farm  owners  who  practice  economy,  ro- 
tation, and  diversification  are  making  a  surplus  and  they  are  well-to-do, 
prosperous  people.  .'\nd  \vc  liavc  a  fairly  large  number  of  farmers  of 
this  type  in  Durham.  They  plan  their  day's  work  just  as  a  superintend- 
ent of  a  big  factory  plans  his  work,  and  then  get  up  and  go  to  it. 

Durham  lags  not  only  in  food  production  but  also  in  some  of  her 
social  conditions.  Social  is  here  used  in  its  broadest  sense,  with  spe- 
cial regard  to  the  relation  of  man  to  man  and  man  to  his  community. 
The  last  census  of  religious  bodies  in  the  United  States,  taken  in  1906, 
gives  only  49  per  cent  of  our  population  of  responsible  ages,  ten  and 
above,  as  members  of  any  church.  Fellowship  and  co-operation  are 
inevitably  found  in  regions  of  large  churcii  membership. 

Let  us  turn  again  to  our  schools.  It  is  true  that  Durham  pays  about 
the  largest  school  tax  in  the  state,  because  she  is  rich  in  industries; 
but  the  real  test  is  how  much  she  pays  per  person.  On  this  basis  of 
comparison  she  is  found  wanting.  Durham  pays  only  $4.80  per  $1,000 
for  annual  school  expenditures,  while  McDowell  county  pays  $20.85. 
We  spent  $22.11  for  each  high  school  pupil  enrolled  in  1914,  while 
Jackson  leads  the  state  with  $52.63.  In  high  scliool  expenditures  si.xty- 
nine  counties  make  a  better  showing  than  Durham. 

Durham  also  has  an  almshouse  out  on  the  Roxboro  road.  It  is 
creditable  when  measured  by  North  Carolina  standards.  It  is  now 
fairly  well  kept  and  the  inmates  are  cared  for  decently.  The  crying 
need  of  Durham  at  present  is  a  juvenile  training  school  or  reforma- 
tory—one for  boys  and  one  for  girls.  Mothers  and  fathers  in  Dur- 
ham, as  elsewhere  in  industrial  centers,  are  worrying  about  their  chil- 
dren's going  astray.  Whether  it  is  called  a  juvenile  school,  reforma- 
tory school,  or  what  not,  something  for  the  care  of  this  class  of  young 
people  should  be  done  before  they  become  criminals. 

WHERE  WE  LEAD 

The  figures  at  the  left  margin  show  how  many  counties  rank  ahead 
of  Durham.  We  are  ahead  of  the  state  average  in  the  particulars  listed 
below. 


84  Durham  Col'xty:  Eco^■oMIC  ast>  Social 

15th     in  population.   1910  census 35,276 

19th     in  total  white  population    1910 22.893 

18th     in  total  negro  population  1910 12,3S3 

31st     in  decrease  in  negro  population,  per  cent 2.1 

10th     in  marriages  per  1,000  population,  15  years  and  over..  13.4 

17th     in  homicides,  average  rate  per  million  inhabitants....  43 

2nd     in  suicides,  average  rate  per  million  inhabitants 1 

2nd     in  female  workers  in  mills  and  factories,  No.  in  1915  2,759 

4th     in  total  taxable  wealth  in   1914 $26,590,484 

1st     in  per  capita  taxable  wealth $753 

1st     in    per    capita    investment    in    white    school    property 

1913-'14    $13.37 

18th     in  investment  in  automobiles  1915 $151,800 

7th     in    amount    spent    on    school    buildings    and    supplies, 

1913-'14    $41,232.85 

4th     in  salaries  paid  white  rural  teachers $338.00 

6th     in  total  revenue  from  local  school  tax  districts 43.325.81 

14th     in  native  white  illiterates,  10  years  and  over,  per  cent  8.2 

14th     in  native  white  illiterate  voters,  per  cent  of  all  voters. .  9.7 
8th     in  rural  white  schools  with  two  or  more  teachers,  per 

cent     61,2 

38th     in  tax  rate,  state  and  county,  on  the  $100  valuation...  91  2-3 
4th     in     farm    lands    taxed    according    to     census     values, 

per   cent    109 

6th     in  income  taxes  paid,  1914 $4,143.35 

6th     in  professional  taxes  paid $505.00 

20th     in  improved  roads,  per  cent  of  total 20 

2nd     in   taxes   paid   into   state  treasury   in   excess   of   pen- 
sions and  school  money  received $80,467.00 

12th     in  poultry  increase,  1900  to  1910,  per  cent 37.1 

11th     in    horsepower,    average    acres    cultivated    per    work 

animal    21.53 

23rd     in  tobacco  production  in  pounds,  1910 1,995,807 

22nd     in  total  crop  wealth  in  1910 $774,701.00 

23rd     in  corn  production  per  acre,  bushels 14.6 

33rd     in  wheat  production  per  acre,  bushels 8 

6th     in  boys'  corn  club  enrollment  in  1916,  boys  reporting..  22 

13th     in  girls'  canning  club,  girls  reporting,  1915 52 

WHERE  WE  LAG 

95th     in  rural  population  increase,  per  cent  of  decrease 9.6 

90th     in  death  rate  per  1,000  inhabitants 15.5 

84th     in  birth  rate  per  1,000  inhabitants 25.4 

62nd     in  church  membership,  per  cent 49 

67th     in  paupers,  1914,  rate  per  100,000  inhabitants 298 


Dl  KIIA.M    C'ul.NTV 


E 


C().\C»MH 


SuClAI, 


»0 


7Jnd 
(i2in\ 
6Jiul 
70tli 
7(>tl. 
62iui 

"Utli 
87tli 
81st 
61st 
791  li 
87th 
87th 
95tl> 
77th 
yiiid 
96th 
95th 
88th 
91st 
79tli 

65th 
96th 


in  bliiul.  1914,  rate  per  100.000  iiilial)itams 34 

in  local  school  tax  rate  on  tlio  $1.000 4.80 

in  school  exiK-nditurcs  per  $1,000  wortlj  of  property..  4.80 

in  rural  white  school  attendance.  6  to  14,  per  cent 73 

in  rural  colored  school  attendance,  6  to  14,  per  cent..  39.2 
in   school  attendance  on   iiirollineni,   rural   and  urhan, 

white  and  colored,  per  cent 64.9 

in  average  expenditures  i)er  iugh  school  pupil  enrolled  $22.11 

in  per  capita  country  wealth,  1910 $210.00 

in  negro  farm  owners,  per  cent  of  negro  farmers 20 

in  hogs  per  1000  acres 28 

in   farm  tenancy,  per  cent  of   farmers 56.5 

in  amiual   farm  wealth  produced $%,152.00 

in  annual  farm  wealth  produced  per  person $59.50 

in  corn  production  per  person,  bushels,  1910 6 

in  corn    production,  1910,  total  crop,  bushels 210,301 

in  per  cent  of  farms  buying  feed 58 

in  beef  production  per  person,  pounds 7.5 

in  pork  production  per  person,  pounds 32.3 

in  poultry  production  per  person,  fowls 3.41 

in    egg    deficit,    dozen 445.800 

in  increase  of  farm  sales  of  dairy  products  1900-1910, 

per   cent    59 

in  livestock  products  per  person $14.00 

in  bill   for  imported   food  and   feed   supplies $2,559,000 


86  Durham  County:  Economic  and  Social 

OUR  PROBLEMS  AND  THEIR  SOLUTION 

W.  M.  Upchurch 

With  most  people  it  seems  to  be  a  natural  impulse  to  offer  free  ad- 
vice. The  city  man  enjoys  telling  what  the  farmers  ought  to  do;  the 
farmers  like  to  advise  the  business  and  political  world ;  the  illiterate  pa- 
rent wants  to  decide  on  his  child's  course  of  study  in  school;  we  all 
advise  the  preacher  what  to  talk  about,  and  the  ungodly  make  recom- 
mendations to  the  church;  even  old  maids  delight  in  telling  young 
mothers  about  the  effects  of  paregoric  and  catnip  tea,  and  in  advising 
them  how  to  train  their  children  properly.  The  fact  that  a  kind  and 
indulgent  public  is  already  educated  to  listening  to  unsolicited  advice 
without  being  much  influenced  by  it  is  my  justification  for  offering  this 
chapter  to  the  public. 

It  would  be  easy  enough  to  point  out  the  particulars  in  which  Dur- 
ham and  Durham  county  rank  low,  but  to  tell  just  how  such  things 
may  be  improved  is  another  and  a  more  difficult  problem. 

Improve  the  Farm  Lands 

It  is  a  self-evident  fact  that  improved  farm  lands  will  help  the 
country  people,  but  some  of  our  city  population  may  not  see  just  where 
this  will  help  them.  Thinking  economists  are  now  preaching  that  a 
large  city  can  not  forever  grow  fat  on  a  lean  country-side.  That  is, 
the  city  needs  to  be  surrounded  by  a  thrifty,  well-to-do  farming  people 
who  will  grow  a  surplus  of  food  and  feed,  which  they  can  sell  to  the 
city  in  exchange  for  the  necessities  which  they  do  not  produce. 

The  figures  in  a  previous  chapter  indicate  that  our  rural  popula- 
tion failed  to  increase  in  the  census  period  from  1900  to  1910.  These 
figures  show  an  actual  loss  of  9.6  per  cent  of  the  rural  population 
durng  this  period.  Such  a  condition  is  partly  explained  by  the  fact 
that  the  city  limits  were  extended  to  include  many  of  the  people  in  the 
suburbs  who  were  formerly  counted  among  the  rural  population,  still 
the  farming  communities  did  not  build  up  in  proportion  to  the  market 
demands  of  the  city.  One  great  obstacle  in  this,  as  in  other  farm 
sections,  was  the  lack  of  soils  fertile  enough  to  produce  large  returns 
for  labor.  Increasing  the  fertility  of  the  soil  will  multiply  its  yield, 
attract  more  people  to  the  farms,  give  them  more  to  spend  at  the  stores 
and  to  deposit  in  the  banks,  and  make  them  better  able  and  more  will- 
ing to  build  roads  and  support  schools  and  churches. 

The  Starting  Point 

Our  farm  demonstrator  says  that  many  of  our  farmers  are  not 
starting  in  the  right  way  to  build  up  their  soils.  They  try  to  begin 
with  clover  on  land  not  fertile  enough  to  produce  it.    They  should  be- 


DlKllAM    Cor.NTY  :    Ec(»N(>Mlt:    AM)    SociAL  87 

gin  with  rye,  follow  first  with  peas  and  later  with  clover.  These  crops 
when  not  necessary  for  feed  should  be  ploughed  under  to  furnish  the 
humus  which  the  soil  needs. 

In  addition  to  growing  these  legumes,  many  of  our  farmers  need 
to  take  much  better  care  of  their  barn  lot  manures.  All  stock  should 
be  kept  in  stables  or  under  good  slieltcrs  where  the  manure  will  be 
protected  against  the  weather  until  it  is  spread  on  the  fields.  This 
amount  saved  at  home  should  be  supplemented  from  the  city.  There  is 
a  large  amount  of  manure  and  other  decaying  matter  around  the  city 
which  endanger  health  here,  but  would  enrich  the  farm  lands  of  the 
county. 

Another  great  source  of  soil  fertility  is  the  large  amount  of  to- 
bacco stems  which  the  tobacco  factories  are  shipping  out  of  the  county 
annually.  Our  farmers  buy  back  many  of  these  in  commercial  fertili- 
zers at  a  considerably  increased  cost.  Some  arrangement  might  be  made 
by  which  these  could  go  direct  from  the  factories  to  the  farmers  at  a 
profit  to  both. 

When  our  farm  lands  produce  more  hay,  peas,  clover  and  grains, 
then  will  our  farmers  move  up  into  the  higlier  level  of  stock  farming; 
and  this  will  furnish  more  meats  and  dairy  products  for  the  local  city 
market.  Such  a  condition  will  come;  but  unless  we  talk  it  and  preach 
it  persistently,  it  may  come  altogether  too  slowly.  Stock  farming  is 
sure  to  gather  momentum  when  it  is  well  begun.  The  stock  will  fur- 
nish the  manure  to  enrich  the  soil.  The  fertile  soil  will  produce  larger 
returns  for  man  and  beasts.  Let  us  hasten  such  a  condition,  for  when 
it  comes  the  two  and  half  million  dollars  or  more  which  we  are  now 
sending  away  annually  for  supplies  can  be  kept  at  home  to  make  us 
just  so  much  the  richer.  Then  in  a  measure  the  local  markef  problem 
will  be  solved  to  the  benefit  of  farmers,  merchants,  and  bankers — 
producers  and  consumers  alike. 

County-Wide  Chamber  of  Commerce 

Our  Chamber  of  Commerce  is  establishing  a  reputation  for  doing 
things.  It  might  extend  its  membership  and  influence  to  the  county. 
The  interests  of  our  county  and  city  are  so  intermingled  that  the  suc- 
cess or  failure  of  the  one  must  affect  the  other ;  hence  we  shall  do  well 
to  develop  a  county  unit  feeling.  A  county  chamber  of  commerce  with 
city  and  farmer  folk  both  working  together  could  do  much  to  spread 
the  doctrines  of  co-operative  ownership  of  the  best  farm  machinery,  di- 
versification, rotation,  permanent  pastures,  improved  livestock,  win- 
ter cover  crops,  etc.  Many  questions,  such  as  "What  to  Plant  and 
When",  "Markets  and  Marketing"  and  many  others  could  be  discussed 
to  mutual  advantage.  By  co-operation  something  might  be  done  to 
bring  some  progressive  livestock  growers  from  the  West  to  use  and 
build  up  our  137.415  idle  acres.    These  would  be  a  valuable  addition  to 


88  Dur.nA.M  Colxty:  Eco-\u:mic  and  Social 

our  farm  population.  We  have  room  for  1,500  such  families  on  land 
that  needs  to  become  productive.  Many  other  questions  would  arise 
to  challenge  the  united  thought  and  effort  of  all. 

Country-Minded  Teachers  and  Preachers 

In  any  community  one  of  the  greatest  assets  is  thoroughly  equipped 
leaders.  One  great  need  in  all  rural  communities  is  the  right  kind  of 
teachers  and  preachers,  those  who  are  genuinely  in  love  with  country 
life  and  farming  people.  These  should  be  settled  in  comfortable 
homes  around  the  schools  and  churches  where  they  may  take  a  leading 
part  in  commtmity  life.  They  should  be  leaders  in  the  social  and 
farm-life  activities  as  well  as  in  education  and  religious  work.  The 
boys  and  girls  need  to  be  trained  to  take  their  places  on  modern  farms 
rather  than  educated  away  from  them.  The  ideas  of  soil  improvement 
and  intensive  farming  should  be  kept  constantly  before  the  boys,  and 
domestic  science  and  art  should  be  taught  every  girl.  Along  with  these 
the  teachers  and  preachers  should  advocate  good  farm  papers,  maga- 
zines, and  libraries ;  good  roads,  water  works,  telephones,  and  some 
kind  of  improved  lights.  These  things  are  essential  to  make  country 
life  efficient,  wholesome,  and  satisfying.  The  community  which  in- 
troduces them  will  have  little  trouble  in  keeping  its  boys  and  girls  at 
home.  No  back-to-the-farm  movements  will  be  necessary.  The  boys 
and  girls  will  stay,  and  they  will  develop  the  community  instead  of 
turning  it  over  to  tenants. 

Tax   Problems 

Another  problem  of  vital  concern  to  both  city  and  country  people 
is  that  of  getting  all  property  in  the  state  on  the  tax  books  at  a  fair 
valuation.  In  the  past  our  state  tax  commission  has  not  been  able  to 
do  this.  In  the  chapter  on  Wealth  and  Taxation  attention  was  called 
to  the  fact  that  Durham  county  is  bearing  much  more  than  its  part  of 
the  state  tax  burden.  Our  tax  assessors,  state  tax  commission,  and 
legislators  should  not  rest  until  this  matter  is  righted.  It  is  not  right  for 
an  acre  of  land  in  Durham  county  to  pay  much  more  state  tax  than  an 
acre  in  any  one  of  the  adjoining  counties,  and  eight  times  as  much  as 
an  acre  in  Alleghany  county. 

Roads  and  Streets 

We  rank  fairly  well  among  North  Carolina  counties  in  the  per 
cent  of  our  surfaced  roads.  We  need  to  keep  these  repaired  and  to 
build  other  improved  roads  as  rapidly  as  we  can. 

Our  streets,  however,  need  attention  as  soon  as  practicable.  They 
are  certainly  not  up  to  the  standard  set  by  other  cities  of  our  class. 
Yet,  it  may  not  be  advisable  to  let  contracts  for  much  of  this  work 
during  the  present  crisis  when  everything  is  so  high.     The  same  money 


Dl   KllAM     ('<il.\l\:     luoMtMM      AMt    SoilAI.  M> 

a  Near  or  iwo  licncc  luinlil  Imilil  coii>i(lcral>lv  moa-  streets.     Tliis  is  one 
of  the  problems  our  leaders  must  solve. 

Anotlier  problem  is.  what  to  do  about  tlie  streets  in  our  sul)urban 
districts.  If  the  property  owners  are  slow  to  petititin  for  better  streets 
in  these  rented  districts,  tlie  delivery  wagons  will  continue  to  cover 
our  thorouKh fares  witli  mud  brousht  from  such  places,  and  the  poor 
people  will  scarcely  be  able  to  get  to  and  from  their  places  of  al)ode. 
These  are  the  people,  too,  who  need  good  streets,  for  many  of  tliem  go 
to  work  I)efore  daylight  and  get  back  after  dark.  In  many  instances  it 
may  require  outside  help  to  get  sucli  improvements.  Perhaps  renters 
may  refuse  t(t  live  on  sucii  streets  when  they  can  do  any  better. 

Teachers'  Salaries 

in  a  previous  cliapter  1  gave  the  average  aiunial  income  of  teachers 
compared  witli  tliose  of  workers  in  otlier  walks  of  life.  These  figures 
were  collected  before  tiie  great  advance  in  wages  during  1917.  The  dif- 
ference at  present,  therefore,  is  much  greater  tlian  those  figures  si^ow. 
Wages  increased  in  1917  more  than  teachers'  salaries  have  increased  in 
lit  teen  years.  The  result  is  that  many  good  teachers  are  tempted  to  quit 
the  profession  and  enter  other  lines  of  work. 

Just  the  other  day  ten  or  more  teachers  in  Winston-Salem  wiio  were 
getting  around  $40.00  per  month  resigned  because  they  could  not  live 
on  their  incomes.  I  understand  from  a  reliable  source  that  all  of  them 
were  immediately  given  positions  l)y  a  large  banking  corporation  at 
$70.00  per  month,  an  87  1-2  per  cent  increase.  This  is  as  much  in- 
crease as  the  average  teacher  by  doing  summer  school  and  institute 
work  is  able  to  get  in  a  life  time. 

But  we  need  not  go  so  far  away  from  home  for  illustrations.  The 
monthly  check  for  my  colored  janitor  at  the  Edgemont  School  is  al)out 
as  large  as  that  for  any  teacher  in  the  building.  It  should  be  said,  how- 
ever, that  the  janitor  gets  his  pay  in  ten  monthly  installments  while 
the  teachers  get  theirs  in  twelve.  But  to  put  it  on  an  annual  basis,  he 
gets  nearly  as  mucli  as  my  highest  salaried  and  most  experience  1 
teacher  is  paid,  far  above  what  the  lowest  paid  teacher  receives,  and 
somewhat  above  the  average  for  the  regular  teachers  of  the  building. 
And  this,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  has  spent  no  time  or  money 
in  preparation  for  his  work,  while  the  teachers  have  invested  years  of 
time  and  hundreds  or  thousands  of  dollars  in  preparation  for  their 
work.  Besides  this,  the  janitor  has  his  summer  months  in  which  to 
earn  e.xtra  money,  which  is  not  so  true  of  the  teachers.  The  state  re- 
quires them  to  attend  summer  schools  for  tcacliers  every  other  year, 
which  takes  all  money  they  are  able  to  save  the  previous  vacation,  and 
more. 

Tlie  reason  for  the  janitor's  high  average  is  not  that  he  is  more  effi- 
cient in  his  work  tlian  are  the  teachers  in  tlicir  work.     Indeed,  I  can 


90  Durham  Coukty:  Economic  and  Social 

not  say  that  he  fills  his  place  any  better  than  my  weakest  teacher  fills 
hers.  The  simple  fact  is,  teachers'  salaries  have  not  increased  while 
wages  have  nearly  doubled. 

Figures  on  file  in  the  office  of  the  superintendent  of  city  schools 
show  that  the  salary  of  the  highest  paid  teacher  in  the  Edgemont 
School  has  increased  11  per  cent  since  1914,  that  the  salary  of  the  low- 
est paid  teacher  has  decreased  11  per  cent,  and  that  the  median  or  aver- 
age salary  for  the  teachers  of  the  building  has  increased  only  5  per  cent. 
And  this  is  for  teachers  who  have  been  spending  extra  time  and  money 
trying  to  become  better  teachers.  We  should  remember,  too,  that  tlie 
purchasing  power  of  a  dollar  in  1918  is  only  about  half  what  it  was 
in  1914.  The  figures  show  also  that  the  wages  of  the  janitor  since 
1914  have  increased  about  87  per  cent,  and  it  has  not  been  an  easy 
matter  to  keep  good  janitors  even  at  this  increase. 

These  things  may  sound  strange  to  the  reader,  but  they  are  facts 
which  we  must  face,  and  they  present  problems  which  need  to  be  solved. 
Conditions  of  this  sort  will  not  encourage  our  boys  and  girls  to  stick 
to  their  school  work  until  they  are  well  prepared  for  life. 

There  are  probably  teachers  who  will  continue  to  teach  at  present 
salaries,  but  Durham  and  Durham  county  can  ill  afford  to  employ  them. 
They  are  like  cheap  shoes,  most  expensive  in  the  long  run.  Many  of 
their  pupils  would  fail  to  be  promoted,  which  would  cause  the  city 
and  the  county  to  pay  for  teaching  them  in  the  same  grade  two  years. 
If  we  should  eliminate  our  weakest  teachers,  place  more  children  un- 
der the  care  of  the  strongest  ones  and  increase  their  salaries,  the  same 
results  as  above  would  follow.  No  teacher  can  do  as  well  by  sixty  pu- 
pils as  she  can  by  thirty-five  or  forty.  The  fact  seems  to  be  that 
we  must  have  more  money  to  run  the  schools  successfully.  Without  it 
we  shall  lose  many  of  our  most  competent  teachers  and  either  halt  in 
our  educational  progress  or  go  backward. 

How  to  Raise  the  Money 

How  to  raise  money  is  always  a  problem.  Certainly  if  we  do  it, 
we  must  do  it  by  taxation.  The  question  is  whether  we  shall  increase 
the  school  tax  rate  or  put  our  property  on  the  tax  books  at  more 
nearly  its  actual  value.  In  many  states  the  latter  method  is  followed. 
if  our  property  were  listed  at  actual  value,  this  would  give,  at  our 
present  rate,  all  the  money  the  schools  would  need  in  the  near  future. 
This  method  would  nearly  double  our  taxes  for  all  purposes  and 
would  therefore  nearly  double  our  tax  burden.  On  the  other  hand, 
we  could  vote  an  increase  in  school  tax  of  ten  or  fifteen  cents  on  the 
$100  worth  of  property  and  scarcely  miss  the  extra  tax  we  would  pay. 
We  could  vote  this  increase  and  still  our  school  tax  rate  would  be 
much  below  the  average  for  towns  and  counties  like  ours. 

But  the  strange  thing  about  an  election  to  increase  the  school  tax 


DrunAM  CoiNTY  :  Economk"  and  Social  91 

is  that  nearly  all  large  corporations  and  wealthy  people  who  pay  prac- 
tically all  the  tax,  vote  for  it,  while  the  man  living  in  a  rented  house, 
who  would  possibly  not  pay  twenty-five  cents  extra  tax  per  year,  but 
has  five  or  six  children  to  be  educated,  votes  against  it.  This  was  true 
in  our  last  election  of  this  kind,  even  when  we  had  a  school  building 
burned  down  and  there  was  not  room  to  take  care  of  the  children  in 
other  buildings.    Let  us  hope  we  shall  have  few  such  men  the  next  time. 

A  Home  for  Wayward  Youths 

Into  a  growing  community  like  our  city  there  are  constantly  coming 
some  boys  and  girls  who  are  criminals  already  or  inclined  in  that 
direction.  It  is  not  best  for  these  to  roam  the  streets  and  woods  with 
other  children  whose  morals,  habits,  and  ideals  arc  not  fully  estab- 
lished. The  so-called  bad  boy  is  not  mean  by  nature  so  much  as  full 
of  energy  that  only  needs  to  be  controlled  and  guided  into  useful  ac- 
tivity. To  do  this  the  boy  should  be  taken  in  time  and  put  under  the 
care  of  a  strong  man  who  can  prevent  his  getting  into  trouble,  lead 
him  to  do  the  right  until  it  becomes  a  habit,  and  then  turn  him 
out  in  the  community  to  be  a  useful  citizen.  There  are  such  institu- 
tions, and  it  would  be  a  great  thing  for  Durham  if  we  could  some  time 
develop  one.  We  had  better  spend  a  little  in  formation  than  after  it 
is  too  late  to  spend  much  in  reformation.  "An  ounce  of  prevention  is 
worth  a  pound  of  cure." 

Directed  Gardening  a  Substitute 

It  would  take  time  for  such  an  institution  as  that  di.scussed  above 
to  be  perfected.  We  need  something  immediately  to  employ  the  minds 
and  the  time  of  many  of  our  boys  and  girls,  both  good  and  bad.  Most 
children  like  to  work  with  their  hands.  Most  have  inherited  a  liking 
for  digging  in  the  soil  and  handling  plants.  They  like  to  have  a  gar- 
den which  they  may  care  for  and  call  all  their  own.  And  we  may  be 
sure  that  while  they  are  working  with  the  vegetables,  they  are  becom- 
ing mentally,  morally,  and  physically  stronger.  The  mind  all  enthused 
over  growing  vegetables  has  little  room  or  time  for  evil  suggestions  to 
take  root  and  grow.  Besides  this,  the  garden  work  will  furnish  a  fine 
basis  for  language  and  number  work. 

For  these  and  other  reasons  the  city  schools  are  just  now  planning  to 
introduce  this  work  during  the  spring,  and  to  have  some  one  direct  it 
during  the  summer.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce,  also,  is  squarely  be- 
hind it.  Every  parent  who  has  a  child  large  enough  to  work  should  en- 
courage him  to  take  part.  If  the  child  fails  to  produce  vegetables,  the 
effort  will  be  training  worth  the  trouble;  and  if  he  succeeds  in  grow-, 
ing  anything  to  eat,  the  grocery  bill  will  be  materially  reduced  and 
Uncle  Sam  caused  to  smile.  If  for  no  other  reason,  we  should  do  it 
as  a  patriotic  duty  which  we  owe  our  country  in  the  present  crisis. 


92  Dleiia.m  Couxtv:  Econo-mic  a^d  Social 

Playgrounds 

For  the  children  who  are  not  large  enough  to  take  an  active  part  in 
gardening  or  other  profitable  employment,  we  should  extend  and  main- 
tain playgrounds,  well  equipped  and  supervised.  We  have  made  a  good 
beginning  which  we  can  afford  to  go  on  with.  There  is  genuine  value 
and  training  in  the  right  kind  of  play.  Certainly  we  want  to  help  our 
homes  and  our  country  by  directing  all  idle  and  wasted  energy  into 
growing  vegetables  the  year  round,  but  we  must  not  forget  the  old 
maxim,  "All   work  and  no  play  makes  Jack  a  dull  boy." 

Library  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.  Buildings 

Our  efforts  for  a  Carnegie  Library  now  savor  of  success.  This 
matter  should  be  pushed  until  the  building  is  a  reality  and  provided 
with  a  sufficient  number  of  the  best  books,  magazines,  etc.  Our  peo- 
ple are  a  working  people,  and  we  need  to  do  all  possible  to  create  and 
maintain  high  standards  in  taste  for  good  reading  and  wholesome 
amusement. 

So  far  there  has  been  nothing  done  toward  securing  a  Y.  W.  C.  A. 
building  for  our  j'oung  women.  Other  cities  of  our  size  have  seen  fit 
to  build  such  an  institution.  Durham,  too,  is  in  need  of  one.  If  we 
had  such  a  building,  many  of  our  young  women  would  probably  be 
found  there  instead  of  in  unfit  places  of  amusement.  The  building  could 
be  made  a  home  for  the  girls  who  settle  in  our  city,  but  who  have 
neither  relatives  nor  friends  here  to  show  any  interest  in  them.  We 
should  extend  every  courtesj-  and  help  to  these  young  women. 


These  are  by  no  means  all  of  our  problems.  There  are  many  others 
that  challenge  our  attention  and  efforts.  Wherever  our  rank  in  an  im- 
portant particular  is  low,^  we  have  a  prablem.  My  hope  is  that  the 
people  of  Durham  and  Durham  county  will  study  the  figures  at  the 
end  of  the  various  chapters  and  will  decide  for  themselves  what  things 
need  our  immediate,  unselfish,  and  combined  attention. 


SOURCES 


i'ross   I'.ullitin   .\iiiiil)(.r   117— Xortli  Carolina  (k-Dlo^ical  and   lu-onomic 
Survey. 

Biennial  Kei)ort.s— Suporintcndt-nt  of  Public  Instruction  of  Xortli  Car- 
olina. 

United  States  Census  Reports   for   1880,   WX).   1900,   lylO. 

History  of  Durham  County— E.  \'.   Paul. 

Clay   Products   Rejiorts— North   Carolina  Gcolojjical   Survey. 

Xortli   Carolina  Credit  Unions — John   Sprunt  Hill. 

Reports  of  North  Carolina   Department   of   Labor  and    Printiny— 1914 
and   1915. 

Files  and  Club  Studies   in   I.ab.iratory  of   North  Carolina  Club  at  the 
University. 

The  Federal   Census  of    !n(In>trii->.    1''14. 


^&J^ 


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WiSXi 


